Rachel Friend is a mother to 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 cat, and has been married for over 20 years. She firmly believes that lifting each other up serves us better than tearing each other down. Rachel stepped into public service from a deep commitment to activism, and a drive to leave this world a better place than we found it. For more specifics on Rachel’s professional background, feel free to visit her LinkedIn page (Hyperlink: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelfriend/).

Briefly, Rachel earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Stanford University in 1995, and her law degree, magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School in 2000. After law school, Rachel clerked for a federal judge in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and then started off her legal career in the Labor and Employment field. She has spent the bulk of her career advocating for vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, abused children, elderly persons, and asylum seekers.

Rachel is also an educator and has spent the past several years teaching college courses at Front Range Community College. Finally, as an activist, Rachel has worked in such areas as gun violence prevention, flood mitigation protections, climate crisis resiliency, immigrants’ rights, Boulder County Democrats, and helping to elect leaders committed to progressive values. In her spare time Rachel enjoys writing fiction novels, hiking, and meditation.

“I was blown away by the dedication and community-building I observed during my ride along with Meals on Wheels of Boulder. The volunteer I tagged along with clearly goes above and beyond, every week, to ensure that some of our most vulnerable community members are OK. And these community members are better than OK; several clients I had the pleasure of meeting are thriving as they live independently well into their 90s, thanks in part to the nourishment and community that Meals on Wheels of Boulder provides. I am so grateful for the steady, crucial work Meals on Wheels of Boulder does to support Boulder residents.”