Tom Huening

Thomas Richard Huening (born January 5, 1942) is an American author, politician, and businessman from San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his public service role he is known for his fiscal responsibility and his forward-thinking policy initiatives, such as his authorship of California's anti-gerrymandering Proposition 119 on June 1990 ballot, creation of the Garfield Charter School, and his advocacy to extend public transportation from San Francisco into San Mateo County, for which he authored San Mateo County ballot Measure K (BART to San Francisco Airport) and Measure A (Countywide Transportation Expenditure Plan). A published poet, his latest work "Spiritual Choices" is non-fiction prose dealing with spirituality.

Family

Huening was born in Chicago, Illinois, the second of twelve children of Clarence Edward Huening and Hermina Ann Huening (née Huberts). With his first wife Kathleen Bernice Hynes he is the father of four daughters, all of whom live in the Bay Area. He is currently married to Denise de Ville, with whom he resides in San Mateo, California.

Education

* Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 from DePaul University, Chicago, in Speech, Public Speaking, and Persuasion.
* Bachelor of Laws, La Salle Extension University, Chicago, subsequently passing the California Bar exam.
* MBA, Pepperdine University.
* passed California's Certified Public Accountant exam in 2003.

Early career experience

* 1965-1970: jet fighter pilot in the US Navy, serving in Vietnam.
* 1970-1987: commercial pilot for TWA.
* 1970-1976: vice-president, Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate in San Jose, Sacramento, and San Francisco, California.

San Mateo County public service

* elected trustee of San Mateo County Community College District in 1981, serving till 1986.
* elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, serving 1987 through 1998.
* elected in 1998 as the San Mateo County Controller; reelected in 2002 and 2006.

Other public service

* in 1992 Huening was the Republican candidate for US Congress in California's 14th District. As part of his campaign, he organized the Omaha Summit, a post-election gathering of reform-minded freshman Representatives to the US House. Despite losing to Democrat Anna Eshoo, who still holds this seat, he attended the event held in Omaha, Nebraska, on November 30, 1992.
* created and served on Board of Directors of Garfield Charter School (California charter school #49).

Business experience

* 1977 to the present: runs Huening Investment Corp., a commercial real estate development firm in the Bay Area

Author

* "Spiritual Choices" (published 2007), a nonfiction work examining what the world's major religions have to offer to the spiritually minded.
* editor of and contributor to "Unicorn: A Contemporary Journal", published by the College of San Mateo.
* regular contributor of political op-ed articles.

References

* Howard, Leslie. "Lucky Man", "San Jose Magazine", October 2007:72-76.
* Castro, Janice. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976968,00.html "Not So Fast, Rookies!"] , "Time Magazine", November 9, 1992. Accessed October 31, 2007.
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,977148,00.html "Absence of a Quorum"] , "Time Magazine", December 7, 1992. Accessed October 31, 2007.
* "Review & Outlook: Assault on the Gerrymander", "Wall Street Journal", December 20, 1989.
* Macdonald, Katharine. "Reapportionment initiative launched", "San Francisco Examiner", May 24, 1989.
* United Press International. "Gann Supports Redistricting Initiative", "San Francisco Chronicle", May 24, 1989.
* Ingram, Carl. "Reapportionment Plan Calls for Bipartisan Commission", "Los Angeles Times", May 24, 1989.
* Studer, Robert P. "Gann, others endorse redistricting proposal", "San Diego Union", May 24, 1989.
* Smith, Martin. "San Mateo supervisor seeks end to state gerrymandering", "San Francisco Examiner", May 16, 1989.

External links

* [http://denisedeville.com/images/SJ_Magazine_1007_Tom_Huening_a.pdf "San Jose Magazine" article, October 2007 (PDF download)]
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1601452667 "Spiritual Choices" description and reviews at amazon.com]