LADIES' GALLERY

Linda Furney served eight terms in the Ohio Senate. She is a native of Toledo, attended Bowling Green State University, and taught in the Washington Local School district in Toledo. She taught English in Rio de Janeiro for two years and then returned to Ohio, teaching home economics in the Springfield local school district.

Furney began her civic and leadership career in politics with her involvement in the National Organization for Women, serving as Ohio president. She then served on the Toledo Board of Education and Toledo City Council, being elected in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Her career as an elected official then turned to the Ohio Senate where she was one of few women to hold the minority whip position in the Ohio Senate.

She was appointed to the following Senate committees:

- Education (ranking minority member),

- Retirement and Aging (ranking minority member),

- Finance,

- Reference and Oversight, and

- Rules.

She was also a member of these special committees: the Governor's Human Resources Investment Council, the Legislative Committee for Education Oversight and Head Start Study Committee, the Joint Legislative Committee on Federal Funds, the Governor's Task Force on Head Start, the Ohio Women's Policy and Research Commission, the National Conference of State Legislatures (Commerce Labor and Economic Development Committee chair and Education Committee chair), and the Editorial Board of the Midwestern Legislative Conference. Furney was also a member of the following political and civic organizations: the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee, the Lucas County Democratic Party Executive Committee, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Organization for Women, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Toledo Museum of Art, the Toledo Zoo, and the American Association of University Women.

Her community service involvement includes Chemical Abuse Reduced through Education and Services (C.A.R.E.S.), the University of Toledo Center for Women, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Furney's leadership and her contributions to her community have been recognized with many awards, among which are: the Foundation Award, ACLU of Ohio; the Citizen Award, Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children; the Stanley K. Levinson Award, Planned Parenthood of Northwest Ohio; Special Recognition, Lucas County Board of MR/DD; the Distinguished Citizen Award, The Medical College of Ohio at Toledo; and the Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year Award.

Biography courtesy of the Ohio Women's Policy and Research Commission