The Arizona Governor on What It Takes

Janet Napolitano got her start in public life as an attorney for Anita Hill at the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. She was inaugurated governor of Arizona in 2003, re-elected by a landslide in 2006 and was the first woman to chair the National Governors Association. Governor Napolitano has inspected her state's border with Mexico by helicopter and ridden it by horseback to better understand the challenges of patrolling the nation's busiest entry point for illegal immigrants. During her first term, Napolitano created a voluntary all-day kindergarten program in Arizona. A Democrat, Napolitano now outpolls GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain as Arizona's most popular politician and is often mentioned as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Governor Napolitano answered your questions about politics and women in leadership during a Live Talk on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

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See Governor Napolitano's bio.

Janet Napolitano: Hi, I'm Janet Napolitano, the governor of Arizona, and I'm very glad to be here to answer your questions. Let's get started!

Phoenix, AZ: Arizona's K-12 education system has been a huge challenge for leadership and so far has only minor incremental improvements in performance have been made. Arizona has had three woman governors over the past couple of decades, one being an ex-school teacher. We had large expectations that our woman governors would succeed in using innovative means to significantly increase academic performance and graduation rates. Could you address the reasons why this challenge has not been met, or is it not a gender issue?
Janet Napolitano: During my first term, we phased in all-day Kindergarten for every child in Arizona. We gave teachers a historic pay-raise. Through the P-20 process, we have synchronized what we expect from high-school students with what our universities /expect/ from high school students. Education is my top priority. Unfortunately, we won't see results overnight—but I do believe we will see results over time.

St. Charles, MO: I'm curious about your family history. Have the women before you in your family been leaders? What inspired you to take on this role?
Janet Napolitano: My mother, who passed away in 1993, was a very strong influence on my life. While she didn't work outside the home, she constantly encouraged me to try new things and to take leadership positions. I was fortunate, also, to have strong mentors when I began my legal career—for example, my first boss was Judge Mary Schroeder of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. I was her law clerk and we have remained close ever since. She was a wonderful example of pursuing public service at the highest level. It was one of the pleasures of my life to have her swear me in as governor.