Gilda Z. Jacobs became League President & CEO on Jan. 3, 2011, following a long career as an elected official. She served eight years as a state senator and four years as a state representative from Huntington Woods where she made history as the first woman floor leader in either chamber of the Legislature. As senator, Jacobs was the vice chair of Campaign & Election Oversight; Families & Human Services, and Finance and also served on Economic Development & Regulatory Reform; and Health Policy. Prior to serving in the Legislature, she served as an Oakland County Commissioner from 1995 to 1998. She also is distinguished as the first woman elected to the Huntington Woods City Commission, serving from 1981 to 1994. In addition to her civic leadership, she served as Development Director for JARC, a Jewish association providing residential care for persons with developmental disabilities. She also worked as a special education teacher in the Madison School District. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she received her bachelor’s degree with a distinction in education in 1970 and a master’s degree in behavioral sciences in education.