Michelle Park Steel

Michelle Park Steel
Born	Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	American
Occupation	California State Board of Equalization Vice Chair
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Shawn Steel
Children	2
Korean name
Hangul	박은주
Hanja	朴銀珠
Revised Romanization	Bak Eunju
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Ŭn-ju

Michelle Eunjoo Park Steel (born June 21, 1955) is the Vice Chair of the California Board of Equalization, the Republican member representing the Board's 3rd District.^[1][2][3] She is currently the highest ranking Korean American officeholder in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Steel was born in Seoul, South Korea.^[3] Her Shanghai-born grandfather^[who?] was a prominent member of the Korean independence movement and her parents were diplomats and educators. Steel was born and educated in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. She holds a degree in Business from Pepperdine University, an Executive MBA from the University of Southern California and is fluent in Korean and Japanese.^[2]

Steel's interest in tax issues began at an early age when she watched her mother fight what they believed was an unwarranted Board of Equalization tax bill. As an immigrant small business owner, Steel's mother lacked the resources to successfully fight the massive state agency and reluctantly acceded to the Board's demands.

Steel began her community involvement as a commentator on Radio Seoul from 1993 until 2007. She has also volunteered for several youth organizations, including Options House, a local emergency shelter helping runaway children, and the Coalition of Brothers and Sisters Unlimited, an African-American after-school program.^[1]

Steel and her husband, former California Republican Party Chairman and current Republican National Committee Committeeman from California Shawn Steel, have been married for twenty-five years. They live in Palos Verdes with their two children – Cheyenne, 24, and Siobhan, 21.^[1] Cheyenne is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the California College Republicans.

Political career

Early career

From 2001-2003, Steel has served on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under President George W. Bush, the California World Trade Commission, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and the Los Angeles Airport and Fire Commissions. She was later appointed to the White House Conference on Aging under President George W. Bush.

Her public policy experience includes service as a member of the California Orange County Deputy District Office: Korean American Community Commission and member of the Tax Advisory Committee for the State Board of Equalization.

Outside of government, she has also been active in Republican Party positions, serving as a board member for the Korean American Republican Association and having been an honorary chair of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 Gubernatorial Campaign.

Election to the Board of Equalization

Elected to the Board of Equalization in 2006, Michelle Steel serves as the country’s highest ranking Korean American officeholder and California's highest ranking Republican woman.^[1] She represents more than eight million people in the Board of Equalization's Third District, which includes the counties of Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Steel promised to protect taxpayers from the overbearing government that her family encountered. A signatory of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, she has stated she will oppose all new taxes and tax increases, and when adjudicating tax appeals, will always presume that a taxpayer is innocent until proven guilty.^[1]

In 2011, she was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Equalization.^[4]

Preceded by Claude Parrish

California State Board of Equalization Member 3rd District 2007–present

Succeeded by incumbent

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Steel, Michelle Park. "Board Member Michelle Steel". California State Board of Equalization. http://www.boe.ca.gov/members/msteel/about_member.html. Retrieved 2007-02-20. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "亞裔支持朴銀珠選稅委 (Asian Americans support Park's election to tax board)". 2006-08-23. http://www.singtao.com/index_archive.asp?d_str=20060823&htmlpage=oversea&news=0823ao13.html. Retrieved 2007-02-20. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Michelle Steel, JoinCalifornia.com, http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/6356, retrieved 2011-09-29 
4. ^ Arie Dana (January 26, 2011). "Michelle Steel Named Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization". California Board of Equalization. http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/2011/13-11-S.pdf. 

External links

• Official government web site
• Official campaign web site

Persondata
Name	Steel, Michelle Park
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth	Seoul, South Korea
Date of death
Place of death