Jennifer Siebel Newsom | |
---|---|
Second Lady of California | |
Assumed office January 10, 2011 |
|
Governor | Jerry Brown |
Preceded by | Laura Maldonado |
First Lady of San Francisco | |
In role July 26, 2008 – January 10, 2011 |
|
Mayor | Gavin Newsom |
Preceded by | Kimberly Guilfoyle (2006) |
Succeeded by | Anita Lee |
Personal details | |
Born |
Jennifer Lynn Siebel June 19, 1974 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Political party | Independent |
Other political affiliations |
Republican (formerly) |
Spouse(s) |
Gavin Newsom (m. 2008) |
Children | 4 |
Alma mater | Stanford University |
Profession | Director |
Jennifer Lynn Newsom (née Siebel; born June 19, 1974) is an American documentary filmmaker and actress. She is the director, writer and producer of the film Miss Representation, which premiered in the documentary competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film examines how the media have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power. Her second film, which she wrote produced and directed, was The Mask You Live In, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Festival. It is a criticism of American society’s definition of masculinity.
Siebel is the wife of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom of California, making her the Second Lady of California. She is formerly the First Lady of San Francisco.
Newsom was born in San Francisco, to Kenneth F. Siebel, Jr., an investment manager (second cousin to software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel), and Judy (Fritzer) Siebel, co-founder of the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Newsom grew up in Ross, Marin County, California.
She is the oldest of four sisters and attended Ross Grammar School and The Branson School. During high school, she played varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis. She later graduated with honors from Stanford University, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in 1996 and Master of Business Administration in 2001. Her studies focused on conservation policy and Third World development.
At Stanford, she was recruited to play on the women's soccer team. While pursuing her MBA, Newsom also studied at the American Conservatory Theater, where she completed a certificate program. After completing her education, Newsom traveled to Africa, Latin America, and Europe on assignments with Conservation International, a global environmental coalition. Newsom worked in rain forest communities with a focus on helping indigenous populations and creating business enterprise opportunities for women.