Rich Gordon
| Rich Gordon | |
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| Member of the California State Assembly from the 24th district 21st district (2010–2012) |
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In office December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Ira Ruskin |
| Succeeded by | Marc Berman |
| Member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors from the 3rd district |
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In office April 1997 – December 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Ted Lempert |
| Succeeded by | Don Horsley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 3, 1948 San Mateo County, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Dennis McShane |
| Residence | Menlo Park, California |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Religion | United Methodist |
Richard S. Gordon (born July 3, 1948) is an American Democratic politician from Menlo Park, California. He served in the California State Assembly as a representative for the 24th district. Gordon previously served as Assembly representative for the 21st district, President of the California State Association of Counties, and a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Gordon has been openly gay for the entirety of his political career. In 1992 he was the first openly gay candidate in San Mateo County history.
Assemblyman Gordon is a fourth generation Californian, born and raised in San Mateo County. He completed high school in Orange County, and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. He also holds a Masters of Divinity from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University. His ministry for poverty-stricken children in Chicago developed in him a strong sense of social justice. He married his then girlfriend Terri Tedford in 1974, and moved back to California. Gordon found a job with the YMCA in Fullerton, California as a youth and family counselor. Two years later, he moved to the Redwood City YMCA, heading a program that provided aid for troubled youth. He oversaw a federally-funded project that reached out to youth arrested by police and provided them with immediate counseling. The goal was to keep young men and women out of jail. Under Gordon's eye, the intervention efforts made such a difference that the federal government decided to underwrite a second program- a shelter for runaway kids called Your House. Gordon formed his own non-profit, Youth and Family Assistance, partnered with San Mateo County. Over time, it grew from 4 employees and a $100,000 budget to 60 employees and a $5 million budget. By the early 1980s, Gordon was running a teen health clinic and centers that counseled families beset by drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence. With the help of the designer of the Johnny Rockets chain and the CEO of See's Candies, Gordon opened MiMe's Cafe in Redwood City, a joint project of Youth and Family Assistance and Opportunities Industrialization Center West.
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