Everything is timing,” says Senator Marian Bergeson, a lifelong resident of Southern California. Her career in public service includes serving on the Board of Education, the Board of Supervisors, and in both houses of the State Legislature and Secretary of Education in the Wilson Administration. Senator Bergeson was one of the 2003 UCI Medal recipients, UC Irvine’s highest honor, in recognition of her work as a leader in education, government and the many causes to which she devotes herself.

Having spent much of her career in education, first as a teacher—a profession she still loves—Senator Bergeson was there from the inception of UCI and the School of Social Sciences. Her committee assignments often involved work with various UCI programs, including the Center for the Study of Democracy. “I’ve always loved the feeling of academia,” she says. “I love to walk around a university campus. The dynamics at UCI have brought tremendous energy to the community as well as the students,” she says. “Almost every day and night you could be attending lectures or enjoying events; there just seems to be a wealth of opportunities.”

In 1975, while Bergeson was serving as President of the California School Boards Association, a vacancy arose in the State Assembly. “I was asked if I would consider it,” she says. “At first I said, ‘No, way!’ I was not particularly enamored with the politics in Sacramento, but after some coaching, and with my family solidly behind it, I decided to run.” Although she did not win the first time, she was elected to the State Assembly in 1978.

When asked about important attributes of leaders the Senator quickly replies, “You have to learn to listen, particularly if you are in an elected office.” She says leaders need to be passionate about what they believe in, and convey that enthusiasm to the public. She also believes that once others learn that they can depend on a leader to articulate a resonating message, it generates public interest and involvement in community and government activities.

Bergeson has always been passionate about education but while in elected office her role changed. In the state legislature, most of her work centered around local government. As a minority member in the State Senate, she realized she would never be the Chair of the Education Committee but says, “I did have an opportunity to chair the Local Government Committee, which tied into my areas of interest, because to me, state government should focus on those solutions that work to facilitate creative local efforts. She chaired the Senate Local Government Committee for 10 years.

“It was always exciting to get an important bill through committees because it takes a strategic effort. It also takes a certain Machiavellian nature to be able to execute the policy that you think is important,” she says. “But mostly it is about working relationships with people—you accomplish things with building trust and friendship among your colleagues.

According to Bergeson, wins and losses do not define leaders: their responses to situations do. “Losses are not things I dwell on,” she says, “because I realize this is a political process and I’ve often felt that losses aren’t really losses as much as experiences. I’ve had many favorable experiences because I loved my job and I enjoyed the people I worked with.” As for political attacks, she says the politician usually learns how to handle them, but it is harder on the family. The Senator credits her husband Garth, four children and 11 grandchildren for supporting her throughout her career.

“I think so much of success is timing and if you are prepared when the time comes, then you can walk through the door,” says Senator Bergeson. “If you do a good job where you are, the opportunities will fall your way.”

return to table of contents