About Katrina

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Katrina Foley was elected to the Costa Mesa City Council in November 2004 and again in 2008.  Following those terms she has been elected to Newport Mesa Unified School District School Board Trustee Area 2 in November of 2010. Katrina’s focus is on making Costa Mesa better for families.  She has two school age boys and is married to Casey Swanson, a local teacher.

Katrina serves as the Chair to the Redevelopment Agency and City Council liaison to the following: OC Fair, Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Youth in Government Program, Child Care & Youth Services Committee, Cultural Arts Committee, and Santa Ana River Trail Blue Ribbon Committee.

Katrina also serves her community as Chair of the Orange Coast College President Search Committee, and has previously served as Chair of the Coast Community College Citizens Oversight Committee, a Trustee for the Vector Control Board, and Council representative for the Advisory Counsel to the Orange County Great Park. Prior to her election, she served on the city’s Planning Commission for more than five years, as a member of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Measure A Oversight Committee, and the Costa Mesa Human Relations Committee.

Katrina also volunteers her time on several non-profit boards.  She is a Director and Secretary for the Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation and President of the recently formed OC Skateboarding League.  She has also served as a Director for four county-wide non-profit boards: the Girl Scouts, the Orange County Women Lawyers Association, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, and Orange County HeadStart. Katrina is a member of the Hispanic and Celtic Bar Associations, and volunteers her time for numerous civic organizations including Costa Mesa Pop Warner, and the Sonora Elementary School PTA, where she is past President.

Successful Businesswoman & Employment Lawyer

Katrina is President of The Foley Group, A Professional Law Corporation in Newport Beach.  The Foley Group, PLC provides services in artist and athlete management, employment litigation, and non-profit compliance matters.  In 2001 and 2004, Katrina was honored by Women in Leadership and the National Association of Women Business Owners’ at the annual Remarkable Women Awards event.

Educated in the Public School System

Katrina is a proud graduate of HeadStart, UCLA (BA – English), and Seattle University (Juris Doctorate) on a Dean’s Scholarship. Upon graduating from law school, Katrina received numerous public service awards including the National Association of Women Lawyers 1996 Outstanding Woman Graduate and Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Public Service Award.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2009, Katrina received recognition from the Sierra Club for her efforts to Go Green in Costa Mesa.  In December 2007, she was awarded the Advocating Healthy Families Super Star Award from the Health Funders Partnership of Orange County, and in April 2007, she was awarded the Childs Pace John Upton Award for her work to enrich and lighten the load of families in Costa Mesa. In 2008, Katrina was awarded the Board member of the year award for the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association for her work on the Pediatric Cancer Research Gala Fundraiser. She recently was awarded the Orange Coast College “2010 Outstanding Citizen of the Year” for her volunteer services and activities in the Costa Mesa and OCC community.

Katrina is dedicated to collaborating within the community to improve the lives of children and families.