her successor Anne Wexler described it: "OPL under Costanza had functioned as an office providing responsiveness to interest groups, a form of White House case work, but had not taken enough initiative to enlist group support by building coalitions that would move the president’s program on Capitol Hill." Affirming her support for Carter, she resigned from his administration effective September 1, 1978. Costanza had been popular with women's groups, and had earned herself a Newsweek cover titled "Woman in the White House". Following her resignation many feminists were angered with Carter, feeling he had "fired" Costanza, on whom much pressure was put to quit. Career and activism after the White House Costanza became executive director of her friend Shirley MacLaine's "Higher Self" seminars after moving to Los Angeles and later became vice-president at Alan Landsburg Productions, where she made commercial films and advertisements. She served on many service group boards of directors, including the AIDS research organization Search Alliance and the National Gay Rights Advocates. Moving to San Diego County, California in 1990, Costanza coached candidates for office in public speaking, serving as the coordinator for Barbara Boxer's winning United States Senate in the Year of the Woman, 1992, and as manager for Kathleen Brown's failed gubernatorial candidacy in 1994. Governor of California Gray Davis appointed Costanza as a liaison for women's groups and issues. Costanza lost that job when Gray Davis lost a recall reelection in November 2003. Costanza became a professor at San Diego State University in 2004 and was working with the Political Science and Women's Studies departments of San Diego State and the Political Science department of the University of California, San Diego to develop the Midge Costanza Institute. The Institute is mainly aimed at inspiring young people to become active in political and social causes. Honor Midge Costanza was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 by Women's Museum of California, Commission on the Status of Women, University of California, San Diego Women's Center, and San Diego State University Women's Studies. Death Costanza died of cancer at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, California on March 23, 2010 at the age of 77. She is survived by her brother Anthony. Midge Costanza was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 for the title of Trailblazer, meaning, women who have paved the