Liana Cassar
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Liana Cassar
|birth_place = Connecticut, US
| birth_date =
| office = Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from the 66th district
| predecessor = Joy Hearn
| termstart =January 1, 2019
| termend =January 3, 2023
| children = 2
| spouse = Larson Gunness
| successor = Jennifer Boylan
|party=Democrat
| education = BA, communications and Spanish, University of Connecticut
MPH, Boston University
MBA, Simmons University
|website={{URL|electliana.org}}
}}
Liana M. Cassar is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing District 66 from 2019 to 2023.
Early life and education
Cassar was born and raised in Connecticut,{{cite web |last1=Ahlquist |first1=Steve |title=Liana Cassar announces bid for Joy Hearn's House District 66 seat |url=https://upriseri.com/2018-01-23-liana-cassar/ |website=Uprise RI |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=January 23, 2018}} and graduated from John Jay High School in Katonah, New York. Following this, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut and served as a Community Development Worker in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica from 1992 to 1995. She also completed her MPH at Boston University and MBA from Simmons College.{{cite web |title=Representative Liana Cassar |url=http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/representatives/Cassar/Pages/Biography.aspx |website=rilin.state.ri.us |access-date=January 14, 2021}}
Career
Cassar has worked in various health care and public health sectors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She has served as co-chair of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee and as an Advisory Board Member for the Center for Health and Justice Transformation. Earlier, she was a strategy and Operations Consultant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island and served as a strategic business consultant for AthenaHealth. From 2006 until 2008, Cassar served as the Chief Operating Officer for Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island.{{cite news |last1=Gregg |first1=Katherine |title=Freshman Rep. Liana Cassar pitches her candidacy for RI House Speaker |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/29/liana-cassar-pitches-her-candidacy-ri-house-speaker-vs-mattiello/6075735002/ |access-date=January 14, 2021 |publisher=Providence Journal |date=October 29, 2020}}
In January 2018, Cassar announced her bid to replace Joy Hearn as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 66. She defeated John Chung in the primary and Republican Rhonda Holmes in November's general election to win her first election.{{cite web |title=Barrington resident officially sworn in as new lawmaker |url=https://www.eastbayri.com/stories/barrington-resident-officially-sworn-in-as-new-lawmaker,60333 |website=eastbayri.com |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=January 2, 2019}} Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, Cassar announced legislation to lift the ban on abortion coverage for state employee health plans and ensure that abortion care is covered by Medicaid.{{cite web |last1=Lewis |first1=Allie |title=Valverde, Cassar look to expand abortion access |url=https://www.ricentral.com/narragansett_times/news/local_news/valverde-cassar-look-to-expand-abortion-access/article_51317c7c-436e-11ea-8258-7fea6205d2e2.html |website=ricentral.com |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=January 30, 2020}} Following this, she was appointed to the Health, Education and Welfare Committee while continuing to work with the House Committee on Small Business.{{cite web |title=Rep. Cassar appointed to Health, Education and Welfare Committee |url=http://www.reportertoday.com/stories/rep-cassar-appointed-to-health-education-and-welfare-committee,31352? |website=reportertoday.com |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=February 28, 2020}} In October, Cassar announced her bid for Rhode Island House Speaker against Nicholas Mattiello.{{cite web |title=Rep. Liana Cassar announces bid for Rhode Island House Speaker |url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/rep-liana-cassar-announces-bid-for-rhode-island-house-speaker |website=turnto10.com |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=October 29, 2020}} She eventually dropped her bid in December after the majority of the House voted for Joe Shekarchi.{{cite news |last1=Gregg |first1=Katherine |title=Freshman lawmaker drops long-shot bid for RI House Speaker, slams process |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/31/freshman-lawmaker-drops-long-shot-bid-ri-house-speaker/4086193001/ |access-date=January 14, 2021 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=December 31, 2020}}
References
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Category:University of Connecticut alumni
Category:Boston University School of Public Health alumni
Category:Democratic Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Category:Women state legislators in Rhode Island
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly