Occupation- Small business owner and former Deputy Cabinet Secretary

Member Since- 2010

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Arizona State Senator Kimberly Yee represents Arizona's 20th Legislative District, covering the areas of North Phoenix and parts of Glendale. Kimberly and her husband own a small local business in the West Valley. She is the first Asian American woman elected to serve in the Arizona Legislature in our state's history.

She serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, and as a member of the Committees on Health and Human Services, Judiciary, and Elections.

Kimberly also serves as a legislative member of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. She was also elected to serve the leadership position of Elected National Order of Women Legislators Representative to the National Foundation of Women Legislators Board.

During her first term in office, Kimberly was the recipient of the following awards- Representative of the Year Award by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Friend of the Taxpayer by the Arizona Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, Leaders of the Year in Public Policy Award by the Arizona Capitol Times, Friend of the Family award by the Arizona Family Project, the 2011 Freedom of Information Award by the Arizona Newspapers Association, the 2012 School Choice Champion Award by the Arizona Council for American Private Education, the 2012 School Choice Champion Award, the 2012 Arts Hero Award, the AZBio Trailblazer Award, and the Tech Ten Legislator Award by the Arizona Technology Council. She was also honored as one of Arizona's 48 Most Intriguing Women in a book published by the Arizona Centennial Legacy Project.

Born and raised in Arizona's 20th Legislative District, Kimberly is the former Chairman of her legislative district's Republican Committee. In 2008, she was elected as a national delegate representing her home state of Arizona at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has served as an elected precinct committeewoman and a member of the Executive Guidance Committee of the Maricopa County Republican Committee.

A graduate of Pepperdine University, Kimberly earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University and was the recipient of the honored Scholar-Citizen Award.

Prior to elective office, Kimberly earned a distinguished career in public policy and governmental service. She served as Director of Communications and Government Affairs for Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin promoting fiscal conservative principles to protect taxpayers.

In 2004, Kimberly was appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Deputy Cabinet Secretary and was a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Cabinet. She served as the Governor’s liaison to the executive branch state agencies and provided policy advisement to the Governor in the areas of K-12, vocational, and higher education, state and consumer services, and labor and workforce development.

In Arizona, Kimberly served as senior staff of the Senate Committee on Education for the Arizona Legislature from 1998 to 2003 where she established long-standing professional relationships with Arizona’s legislative leaders during her tenure, and gained first-hand experience in the legislative process where she drafted Arizona statutes, improving the state’s public education system, including charter schools, colleges and universities.

In 1997, Kimberly was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson as a policy analyst to the State Board of Education helping develop California’s academic content standards that outline what students should be able to know in various subjects by the end of each grade level. State tests are aligned with these academic standards to measure student achievement. Kimberly served as a Fellow to the prestigious California Executive Fellowship Program in 1996, and worked in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, specializing in child care, preschool development, and K-12 education issues.

At the federal level, Kimberly worked for the United States Department of Justice in the Fraud Section, Criminal Division in Washington, D.C. providing research and paralegal assistance. She has also provided administrative services with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.