Michelle Steel

Michelle Eunjoo Park Steel (born June 21, 1955) is an American Republican government official. She is a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and a former member of the California State Board of Equalization.[1][2][3]

Michelle Steel
Member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
January 5, 2015
Preceded byJohn Moorlach
Member of the California State Board of Equalization
from the 3rd district
In office
January 5, 2007 – January 5, 2015
Preceded byClaude Parrish
Succeeded byDiane Harkey (redistricted)
Personal details
Born
Michelle Eunjoo Park

(1955-06-21) June 21, 1955
Seoul, South Korea
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Shawn Steel
Children2
EducationPepperdine University (BS)
University of Southern California (MBA)
Korean name
Hangul
박은주
Hanja
朴銀珠
Revised RomanizationBak Eunju
McCune–ReischauerPak Ŭn-ju

Early life

Steel was born in Seoul, South Korea.[3] Her father was born in Shanghai to Korean expatriate parents. Steel was educated in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. She holds a degree in business from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the University of Southern California; she is fluent in Korean and Japanese.[2]

Steel's interest in tax issues began at an early age when she watched her mother unsuccessfully dispute a Board of Equalization tax bill.

Steel began her community involvement as a commentator on Radio Seoul from 1993 until 2007. She 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 since 1981 and have two daughters, Cheyenne and Siobhan. They live in Surfside, California.[4]

Political career

Early career

From 2001–2003, Steel 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.

California State Board of Equalization

Steel was elected to the California State Board of Equalization in 2006 when Republican incumbent Claude Parrish ran unsuccessfully for state Treasurer.[5] Throughout her tenure, she served as the country's highest ranking Korean American officeholder and California's highest ranking Republican woman.[1] She represented more than eight million people in the 3rd district, which then included the entirety of Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, as well as portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. A signatory of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, she promised to oppose all new taxes and tax increases, and when adjudicating tax appeals, presume a taxpayer is innocent until proven guilty.[1]

In 2011, she was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Equalization.[6]

Orange County Board of Supervisors

In 2014, she ran successfully to become a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd district, easily defeating state Assemblyman Allan Mansoor.[7] She served as Vice Chair of the board in 2016 and was unanimously elected to serve as the Chairwoman for 2017.

In March 2018, Steel was the only elected official to greet President Donald Trump when he landed at LAX on his first official visit to California as president.[8]

In 2018, Steel easily won re-election with 63% of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff round.

In 2019, she was appointed by President Trump to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.[9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she opposed mandatory facemasks in Orange County.[10] She voted against requiring face coverings for retail employees.[11]

2020 U.S. House campaign

On May 2, 2019, Steel announced that in 2020 she would challenge incumbent Democrat Harley Rouda to represent California's 48th congressional district.[12]

gollark: Seriously? Um.
gollark: What does that mean? Don't buy black market children?
gollark: I haven't actually memorised relevant statistics because why would I and I can't really look them up as I'm on my phone.
gollark: I continue existence. Muahahahaha.
gollark: The obvious solution is better unisex bathrooms with actual individual cubicles.

References
  1. Steel, Michelle Park. "Board Member Michelle Steel". California State Board of Equalization. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
  2. "亞裔支持朴銀珠選稅委" [Asian Americans support Park's election to tax board]. 2006-08-23. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
  3. Michelle Steel, JoinCalifornia.com, retrieved 2011-09-29
  4. Steel, Michelle Park. "Vice Chair Michelle Steel". California State Board of Equalization. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  5. 2006 California State Treasurer election
  6. Arie Dana (January 26, 2011). "Michelle Steel Named Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization" (PDF). California Board of Equalization.
  7. "Two new faces join Board of Supervisors". 5 November 2014.
  8. Gerda, Nick (15 March 2018). "OC Supervisor Michelle Steel Welcomed President Trump at LAX". Voice of OC. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  9. "Trump names Michelle Park Steel co-chair of president's advisory commission on AAPIs". February 3, 2019.
  10. options (18 June 2020). "Californians must wear face masks in public under coronavirus order issued by Newsom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  11. "OC Supervisors Vote To Require Face Coverings For Many Retail Employees". MyNewsLA.com. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  12. "O.C. Supervisor Michelle Steel to challenge Rep. Harley Rouda in 2020 election". Associated Press. May 3, 2019.
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