Juanita Millender-McDonald

Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald served as a representative of California’s 37th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1996 until she died of cancer on April 22, 2007 (104th-110th Congresses). Millender-McDonald was the first African American woman appointed ranking member of the Committee on House Administration and served as committee chair during the first session of the 110th Congress. She also served on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business committees and the Joint Printing and Joint Library committees, chairing both joint committees during the first session of the 110th Congress. In addition, Millender-McDonald was Regional Democratic Whip and Co-Chair of the Democratic Caucus for Women. Millender-McDonald was active in many legislative areas, including education, childcare, drug abuse, and health. Before Congress, she was a member of the California State Assembly. Millender-McDonald was the first African American woman elected to the Carson City Council and became Carson City’s Mayor pro tem in 1991. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands and a master’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles.