[2] In 2009, Runner was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.

[4] In 2013 Runner began working part-time for the California State Senate Republican Caucus conducting community outreach events.

The law requires that sex offenders who are released from prison wear a GPS bracelet for life.

The seat was left vacant by her husband, George Runner, who was elected to the State Board of Equalization in November 2010.

[9] To focus on her recovery from a double lung transplant necessitated by her limited scleroderma, she chose to not seek re-election in 2012[10] and was succeeded by Steve Knight in the renumbered 21st Senate District.

"[2] She volunteered her time on several boards and committees including the United Way, Antelope Valley Hospital Gift Foundation, Antelope Valley Crime Task Force, Healthy Homes Advisory Council, and Care Net, a pregnancy resource center.

In 1998, California Governor Pete Wilson appointed Runner to serve on the Antelope Valley Fair board of directors, where she oversaw the operations of the 50th Agriculture District and managed its multimillion-dollar budget.

They had a son, Micah, daughter-in-law, Sandy, daughter, Rebekah (who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard), son-in-law, James, and four grandchildren.

[18] Runner was diagnosed with the limited systemic form of scleroderma, an autoimmune disease affecting her lungs, in 1984 at the age of 30.

On February 24, 2012, Runner underwent a successful double-lung transplant at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

In 2014, she was selected as a rider on the 11th annual Donate Life Rose Parade Float along with 29 other donor recipients.