Min Chang

• Office: School Board
• Election Date: November 5, 2024
• Candidate: Min Chang
• Due Date: May 31, 2024
• Printable Version

Office: School Board

Election Date: November 5, 2024

Candidate: Min Chang

Due Date: May 31, 2024

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 5, 2024 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by May 31, 2024 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Note: This questionnaire will use the initialism “SFUSD” when referring to the San Francisco Unified School District.

• Your Goals
• Executive experience
• The Issues
  • Budget
  • Curriculum
  • Bullying & violence
  • Teachers
  • School assignment system
  • General information
• Personal
• Thank you

Your Goals

We would like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

Why are you running for School Board?

I want to do for public schools, what public schools have done for me. I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate that I had a great experience in public schools early in my life. It allowed me the opportunity to attend some of the best universities and to subsequently earn two bachelors, two masters and a doctorate degree. It allowed me to work for Fortune 100 companies and lead organizations as CEO. None of this would have been possible without the encouragement and support of public-school teachers. It is this critical foundation in those early years that allowed me to excel in my career and life. I feel so lucky that I had these positive experiences, but I do not want our children to depend on luck. Our children should have what I had, supportive schools and teachers, which can expose them to all the possibilities and give them the confidence to grow into their best selves. I know what a good public-school experience should be, and we can bring that to our school system here in SF.

I am not a politician. I am a mom, and a parent and a taxpayer in SF. I have over 35 years of experience in solving problems collaboratively and I know how to get things done. This is what I do every day at work. I am not running to build a political career; I am a CEO and lead a successful health care company here in SF. I am doing this because I want to give back to our community all the things that I have learned in my 35 years of work experience and get our school district headed in the right direction again. I believe that we can be effective together and that the SFUSD Board needs someone like me. Because I am not from the educational system, I can bring an outside voice, best practices from the business world like fiscal responsibility and operational excellence as well as different perspectives to challenge the norm and find unique solutions to our problems. I will bring a collaborative approach to problem-solving that starts with working with our customers; our families/students, teachers, and schools.

What is your #1 policy goal?

I have attended the cycle two resource allocation meetings, the SFUSD Board meetings and I have also visited several schools to hear about their needs/challenges. Based on the information from these meetings and discussions, The budget deficit is a very serious situation and in the business world, this would be a crisis in need of a turnaround ASAP. The problem and solution are complex and closing schools may be a short-term fix that can have longer-term detrimental impacts. School closures can lead to more families leaving the public school system and larger class sizes may hinder learning. Teachers I have spoken to and classes that I have sat in on, are large. We will need to look at all options to optimize the class size and the number of schools. I think the approach that we can take is to examine both the top-line, revenue growth component of the budget and figure out how to increase enrollment or to increase the rate/allocation from the state/city or both. Then, we can examine the expenses and determine what is controllable versus non-controllable. By looking at the financials and understanding the drivers and levers of revenues and costs, we can determine the operational changes that are necessary to bring the budget back in line.

How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?

I will work with anyone or any group that is committed to progress for our school district. We have several key stakeholders in our school district and all of them are important. As a BOE Commissioner and as a Board, I will partner with families/students, the community, teachers/educators, the school superintendent and staff, the government agencies at the city and state level as well as our community partners and organizations. It is important to engage all stakeholders early in the process to understand their needs and to hear about the opportunities that they see so that they can be incorporated in our solutions moving forward.

Despite the challenges of the SFUSD, I am optimistic about its future. I believe there is hope to get our public schools back on track by electing leaders who prioritize results over ideologies and personal ambitions. I will focus on building a coalition of parents, teachers, organizations, and individuals committed to progress. Our school district has several key stakeholders, and all of them are important. It will take someone who can unite these stakeholders and produce results. As a product of public schools and a professional with a career built on producing results at the highest levels of business, I am confident that if elected, I will work with all our stakeholders to resolve the budget crisis and move our schools forward.

Will the power of the office of School Board be enough to achieve this goal?

With a career marked by delivering impactful outcomes in top-tier business settings I can be a leader who will collaborate with all stakeholders to address the budgetary challenges and propel our schools toward progress.

**What are your #2 and #3 policy goals? **

I believe that excellence and equity can co-exist together in our public school system; it should not be a trade-off. We should raise the bar on all schools and for every student. This can be done by taking the time to better understand the needs of each of our 126 schools in the district and to spend time with the parents and families and schools to learn about their needs. Students learn differently and our communities are diverse and have diverse needs. We should understand them and incorporate as much of these learnings into our curriculum as well as teaching methods and approaches. We do not need to compromise excellence or equity; both can be achieved if we collaborate with our communities and schools to deliver on both. We need to ensure that all students, including higher achieving ones, receive tailored educational experiences that meet their unique needs. SFUSD can accomplish this by implementing a multifaceted approach, which includes differentiated instruction, acceleration programs like AP and IB, enrichment opportunities such as competitions and clubs, specialized tracks like Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), and ongoing professional development for teachers. Additionally, integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs into these strategies can further enhance the educational experience for higher achieving students, providing them with opportunities to delve deeper into their interests and prepare for success in STEM fields. By offering flexible learning paths and fostering a culture of academic excellence across all disciplines, SFUSD can empower higher achieving students to thrive and reach their full potential, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and dynamic educational environment for all.

Will the power of the office of School Board be enough to achieve these goals?

The office of the School Board alone will not be able to achieve these goals. It will require the work and collaboration of all stakeholder groups: parents/families, teachers, the administration, and the Board.

What is an existing Board of Education policy you would like to reform?

I would like to change the approach that the BOE takes on addressing the needs of our community. We should better understand what parents/students need and are looking for from schools whether it be strong curriculum, proximity to their home, special focus areas like the arts or sports, cultural affinity, etc. We would also need to better understand the market or competition for schools, i.e., what other options do parents/students have aside from SF public schools? By knowing these factors, we can develop a strategy on how to increase enrollment by either attracting families/students away from the competition or by bringing families back to SF and SF public schools. We will also need to analyze the “customer journey” or student journey from elementary to middle to high school and understand where they enter and exit through the process. By understanding this customer journey, we can determine how to “interrupt” them at the key decision points with the right content so that they choose SF public schools.

**Do/Did you have children in SFUSD? If so, what have you learned about SFUSD that other parents would benefit from? If not, why not? **

What I have learned is that SFUSD has many resources and assets but has been unable to leverage them effectively. Our 126 schools are amazing and special. They represent the diversity of our communities and families. I have visited many of these schools and communities and believe that the resources are available from the federal, state, and local levels and we can both grow our student population in the long-term and manage costs effectively in the short-term; both can be done effectively.

Executive experience

Please describe your experience running or governing large organizations, managing teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other relevant experience.

I have over 35 years of work experience and have worked and led large functional areas as well as regions and overall businesses. As an example, I managed three regions for Omnicom Group, a global marketing communications company, for over seven years. In that capacity I was responsible for $300MM in revenues and over 5000 staff across 50+ markets across AsiaPacfic, the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, I was responsible for $15B in global spend at Honeywell, a multinational conglomerate, across all their markets in the Americas, EMEA and Asia. Likewise, I managed over $2B in spend for AstraZeneca, a large pharmaceuticals company, here in the U.S. I have been CEO for three organizations, both for profit and non-profit and am currently the CEO of a healthcare company here in SF. As CEO, I lead the organization strategically and operationally and that entails financial, performance management and change management. I have extensive experience in finance having both majored in Finance and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business as well as having worked as a financial analyst and treasury analyst at Otis Elevators for many years and have spent 13 years in management consulting helping companies achieve operational and financial growth. Moreover, throughout my 35 years of experience I have amassed experience and knowledge across all areas of marketing, communications, operations, supply chain, financial, organizational change, HR, technology, business development, R&D, etc. I have also worked in several industry sectors including financial, consumer products, healthcare, industrial, professional services, and more.

Please describe a time when you had an underperforming subordinate and how you handled the situation, including (and especially) how you were able to increase their performance.

Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.

Throughout my career, I have mentored and coached many people and continue to do so for many friends and former colleagues. It is one of the things that I love about my job: the ability to give back to others and to share my experiences and insights to help them grow. I can do that now that I have lived a life of experience. I have also had many occasions to work with staff that have not reached their potential. The approach I take is to first understand the capabilities of the individual and to see if we can make improvements given the requirements of the position. Sometimes the improvements that are needed is training related, or better direction that needs to be given to the individual or setting clear expectations. My belief is that if we took the time to recruit and bring someone onboard, it is our responsibility to give that individual every opportunity to succeed in our organization. There are options to move individuals to positions that better match their skill sets or passions, for example. Or ways to provide them better access to tools/resources. Every employee whether they stay with us or eventually leave, we want their experience with us to be one that is positive.

Please describe a time when your organization faced an extreme challenge and how you got the organization through it.

At all three organizations that I was CEO for, we faced extreme challenges. I was hired in all three instances to turnaround the organizations. When I started as CEO for these organizations, they were losing money in their core businesses and losing talent. For each one, my approach has been and continues to be examining the operations and finding the revenue and cost levers to address and putting together an action plan for the near-term to stop the bleeding. Once the businesses are stable, then we put in the plans to grow in terms of customers, services, and markets/geographies. An actionable strategic plan and a robust annual business planning process inclusive of budgeting and forecasting are crucial to put in place. In addition, we examine the capabilities needed for the business currently and in the future and look at the gaps and then revise the organization structure to meet these capability needs. In all three instances, I was able as CEO to lead these organizations out of debt. We were profitable within the first year for both businesses and the current one we are on track to balance the budget in our upcoming fiscal year.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Budget

SFUSD faces an existential crisis in its budget deficit. In your view, what factors have led to this crisis?

The fiscal crisis that we are in is complex and is a result of many years of neglect in terms of management and execution. The lack of focus on what our communities, families and children has been the problem. Academic excellence and equity were seen as conflicting; whereas they can be complimentary, and we can achieve academic excellence through equity of access and raising the bar for everyone. This lack of focus on what is needed to keep our families and children in the public school system has led to the exodus of students and a precipitous drop in enrollment. When enrollment decreases, our funding from the state decreases. Moreover, our administration costs have increased during this same period of enrollment decline, thus exacerbating the situation.

SFUSD was deemed to be “no longer a going concern” and to be at risk of insolvency by the 2025-26 fiscal year unless it restructures and corrects its budget deficit. Please explain the current budget situation.

My understanding is that the state has already put in place a fiscal advisor for the past two years to monitor the SFUSD. This has not turned things around enough since our rating is still very poor. We have a couple more years to fix the situation before the school district is insolvent and the state may at that point run the school district for us. From a business standpoint, which seems like declaring bankruptcy. Unless tough decisions are made to reduce costs and/or increase revenues, the SFUSD will be bankrupt since the investment assets will run out in two years.

How does the role of the CDE’s Fiscal Advisor to SFUSD inform your perspective and priorities on the responsibilities of a Board of Ed commissioner?

In our business, we use consultants or advisors sparingly. They serve an important function when we need an objective perspective and/or need validation from an outside party that can help with influencing our Board, for example. The role of the CDE’s fiscal advisor is a good data point and the assessments should be considered and analyzed. However, the real work needs to rest with the superintendent and administration. It is the job of the BOE to ensure and hold accountable the superintendent and his/her staff to ensure that our school system is viable and sustainable.

Please summarize the recommended solutions in the SFUSD Fiscal Health Risk Analysis report, and tell us how you would prioritize them.

I have reviewed not only this report, but I have also had a chance to speak with SFUSD staff. There are near term priorities and longer-term priorities that we should address. Unfortunately, the near-term priority is to reduce the administration’s costs, including payroll/benefits. Unfortunately, the other levers of growing the top-line and increasing revenues are not short-term solutions. Increasing enrollment can only occur if we can take students away from the “competition” (e.g., private schools) or attract new students (e.g., bring families back to SF), which would require a stronger job market in SF and other economic factors beyond education. Working on building a stronger curriculum and improving the quality of our schools are all longer-term goals and should be started now, but they will not be near term solutions for the fiscal crisis. Because we have not worked on these longer-term goals, we are only left with the cost levers that we can pull on to get us out of the fiscal crisis so that we can work on the longer-term goals of re-building our schools.

The budget deficit will require hard and unpopular decisions, like closing schools, laying off teachers, reducing or changing available courses, and renegotiating the teachers’ union contract. Regardless of your stance on those specific issues, what credentials or work experience do you have in handling those sorts of challenges?

I am no stranger to turnaround situations. I am the CEO of a healthcare company that when I arrived was in a significant deficit situation. We are currently undergoing a restructuring process which will require layoffs, reduced spending with suppliers, consolidation of resources and refocusing on our core businesses. In fact, for all three organizations that I have been CEOs for, I have had to come in to re-organize and consolidate operations before we could grow and expand. This situation at the school district is no different and I am fully capable and experienced and can guide and support the administration.

How do you approach making difficult decisions that you deem necessary even if unpopular? Please share a relevant example, if applicable.

When I arrived as the new CEO at my current company, I had to make the hard decision of pausing (not accept any more customers and not to hire any more staff) our core business because it was losing money badly. It had been losing money for many years and management did not know why. We needed to pause so that we can examine our model and to better understand the revenue and cost drivers and what the root causes were for our poor performance. We now know the causes and have started to implement the solutions in collaboration with our government funders and our staff. I was transparent with our Board and our key stakeholders including our organization. They were involved in the beginning and were partners in developing the solution.

SFUSD facilities are in poor condition, with reports of some bathrooms being so dirty that students refuse to use them. What will you do to remedy this situation, especially given the budget constraints you will have to operate under?

We should move the funding from the administration to the schools where the need is the greatest. As I have been visiting the schools, I have noticed more than once the need for maintenance and repair. It is not only the bathrooms, but the hallways, the heating/cooling systems, the classrooms, etc. Much is needed in terms of upkeep and repair of our school buildings and facilities.

One reason for the budget deficit is declining enrollment. Approximately 30% of children attend private schools, and that percentage is growing. Each student not in SFUSD takes away nearly $15,000 in State funding. How will you make SFUSD more attractive to prospective students and parents?

Increasing revenues for SFUSD entails either increasing the rate that we receive, i.e., the funding rate from federal, state, and local (inclusive of direct funds and bonds/grants) or increasing volume, i.e., having more students either through taking them from competition (e.g., private schools) or growing new students (e.g,, bringing new families back to SF). To do this, we would have to invest in our schools to make them more desirable for families and students to come back to SFUSD and that may mean stronger curriculums, more offerings, stronger educators, better access to college/universities, etc.

What is your perspective on SFUSD’s school closures and approach to pandemic recovery?

My understanding is that SFUSD kept schools closed for over 2 years during the pandemic which was detrimental to student learning. Private schools opened much sooner and were able to bring students back in person. During the SFUSD school closures, many parents moved their children out of public schools, and this hurt the enrollment even further.

Curriculum

What changes are coming to the SFUSD curriculum over the next few years?

There are planned upgrades to the SFUSD curriculum, but it is unclear in terms of details and methods of implementation. Algebra will be brought back to middle school, but it is unclear on how it will be implemented. Moreover, we need to re-examine the entire curriculum at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in terms of raising the bar on the offerings as well as introducing core subjects back to the curriculum. Math, science, history, civics are core subjects that should be the focus of our schools and these subjects should be introduced as early as possible. For example, languages can be introduced in elementary school.

SFUSD student performance is low, with some of the widest achievement gaps among student populations in the state, with many students being left unprepared for high school and college. How and why are we failing our students?

We should raise the bar on performance for not only our students, but our educators and our schools overall. Key outcomes should be required on preparing our students for college, vocational schools and/or work. We need to prepare them through a stronger curriculum, exposure to the stronger curriculum earlier and raising the bar on performance for every student.

SFUSD will be reintroducing 8th grade algebra over the next couple school years. Do you support this change?

Yes, I voted for this and support it. But this alone is not enough.

How should SFUSD balance instructional minutes for core curriculum subjects with access to electives?

We should focus on the core subjects as the priority. Electives are important and should be offered and can be better accommodated if we looked at extending the school day or the school year by shortening holiday breaks. Keeping students in school for a little longer can also help them receive more content and more electives.

Many of SFUSD’s language pathways have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified educators and classrooms are under-enrolled as early as grade 4, how would you address this?

If language were required earlier in a child’s life, there would be more students that want to continue with language studies. With more students enrolled, we can attract more educators and retain them better.

What is your position on supporting lottery-based access to language immersion programs for some versus access to second language instruction for all as part of general education instruction?

I support second language instruction for all as part of general education. I speak three languages and spoke French at the age of 4. I learned Chinese at the age of 5 and English at the age of 8. Children at a younger age can learn languages much faster and without an accent. Languages are a gateway to understanding culture and diversity. This should be part of every child’s learning process.

What is the current state of advanced education at SFUSD?

Raising the bar on education entails offering advanced classes and college prep courses so that our students are prepared for college.

What should SFUSD be doing to ensure more students have access to more advanced education, including classes above their grade level, accelerated courses, and advanced subjects including those currently only offered by outside institutions such as community colleges?

Giving access to advanced learning should be made available to all schools. To challenge our students early and often will help prepare them to be more competitive with college entrance and/or the job market.

What is the current state of special or remedial education at SFUSD?

Our special education programs and schools are needed, should be funded, and supported. Children learn differently and that must be understood and made available.

What should SFUSD be doing to ensure students who need special education (either due to disability or academic performance) have access and the support they need to thrive?

In my visits to SFUSD schools, I witnessed the special education support that our schools provide. It is often a lifeline for our parents and communities. We need to ensure this continues.

Bullying & violence

Last school year SFUSD was beset by reports of rampant bullying and both in-school and after-school violence. Has the School Board done enough to fix and prevent these issues? And what more should be done if anything?

There have been many instances of violence, bullying and discrimination in our schools. Unfortunately, from the feedback I have heard from parents, the school administrations that had these instances happen on their premises either did not respond appropriately or responded very late. Both of which are unacceptable.

What failures in administration allowed such violence to happen in our schools?

There were instances where educators were not disciplined for actions that should not be tolerated. In addition, safety concerns at schools were not addressed and the Board of Education failed to act on behalf of the parents and students, even after multiple communications to them.

What is your opinion about the new “Say Something Anonymous System”? Are other interventions warranted, as well?

I support the reporting of instances that warrant action and that the person reporting it should be protected with no retaliation. We need to act swiftly when instances are investigated, and actions are recommended.

Cyberbullying remains a problem. What is SFUSD doing to stop it, and what else should they be doing?

Cyberbullying should also not be tolerated and should be addressed swiftly. We need to also educate our educators, families, and students on how to prevent cyberbullying in the first place.

Teachers

State regulators have ordered SFUSD to balance its budget by laying off some teachers. What experience do you have with union negotiations, labor disputes, and corporate finance?

I am the CEO of a healthcare company headquartered here in San Francisco. We have a unionized work force of over 400 and we work closely with the local union. Our relationship is collaborative, and we work on advocacy together both locally here in SF as well as at the CA state level. In addition, the union has been very helpful to us in terms of engaging with the members to drive effectiveness and efficiency for our business. I see the union as a strategic partner for us. I would see the role of an educator union in the same light, i.e., as a collaborative partner in ensuring that we have the best educators in our school system. I would envision that the SFUSD Board would work very closely with the union since it represents an important stakeholder group, the educators that are working with our children, families, and schools. Having said all the above, we do negotiate our collective bargaining agreement and have worked with the union to do targeted layoffs. It is important to collaborate with them as early as possible so that they can be a partner in the process.

Given SFUSD’s budget crisis, how will you ensure that we are able to attract and retain the best teachers?

I have many friends and colleagues that have left the public school system. If we invest more effectively and efficiently in our public schools and work with educators to make improvements in the curriculum, I believe we will be able to attract and retain the best teachers. The teachers I know are still passionate about teaching but are not happy with the current system. We also need to keep the teachers that are making a difference in our schools. At the SFUSD Board meetings, there have been so many students, parents, and community leaders as well as alumni of schools that have spoken passionately about teachers, coaches, and counselors that they believe were let go without any input from them. Cutting educators that make a difference in our children’s lives is not the right answer.

School assignment system

Please summarize the changes needed for the SFUSD school assignment system. How do you see it working best for preK through high school?

I understand the reasons behind the lottery system to try and provide better access and equity to all families/students in our district. However, the system is complicated and cumbersome and may not be achieving its intended outcomes. Given that some time has passed since its implementation, I believe that we can do an assessment to determine if there are improvements to be made with this approach.

Indicate how you will ensure the changes to the assignment system proceed with minimal problems.

Given that this past change from merit to a lottery system was already quite disruptive, it is critical that we manage any change with abundant communications pre, during and post transition. Before any change is made, all options should be examined analyzed for pros/cons, and systemic impacts understood so that the change is as optimal as possible.

In your opinion, how should any changes to the system balance equity concerns with convenience and the needs of children and parents?

The starting point should be the needs of the families, students, and community. If equity is an important need of the families, students, and community, then it should be prioritized.

How will you measure if these changes are beneficial for students and parents?

Outcomes are important to measure, both in tangible and intangible. Outcomes can be higher graduation rates, higher assessment of skills/knowledge of students, higher satisfaction scores from parents and students, higher acceptances to colleges, etc.

General information

In your view, why were San Francisco Board of Education members Alison Collins, Gabriela López, and Faauuga Moliga recalled?

I understand the circumstances around the recall. As a CEO and board member for many companies, I understand the responsibilities of each and the accountability of each to their customers/stakeholders. The school board is responsible for hiring and giving oversight to the superintendent (or CEO of the school district) and his/her staff. The school board is also responsible and accountable for the oversight of the strategic and operational performance of the school district (the company). Boards are responsible for approving business plans and budgets for the fiscal year. If the CEO or board is ineffective at the above, then action needs to be taken.

Did you vote for or against the recalls of Board of Education members Alison Collins, Gabriela López, and Faauuga Moliga?

I was not in SF during the recall, but I understand the circumstances behind the recall as stated above.

Who are your mentors? Are there current or former Board of Education commissioners you believe have been most effective, and why?

In business, we always start with the customers. The customers of the school system are the families, students, teachers, and schools. Their needs should guide us, and their input should be sought after and incorporated as much as possible in our solutions.

In what ways are we succeeding in public education?

I have been visiting our schools all over our district and have seen first-hand how dedicated our teachers, principals, and staff are to our children. I have sat in classes and watched our educators at work and our students learning, whether it is robotics or poetry or car mechanics. We have many passionate teachers still and educators that want to see the improvements happen in our district. Public education is important, and we cannot afford to get it wrong; the students, families and teachers are depending on us.

In what ways are we failing in public education?

We have tremendous assets at our disposal, but we have mismanaged them. Public education can be and should be excellent here in SF. We possess some of the best schools and teachers in the country, but we have not given them the resources that they need to succeed. We have some of the most diverse communities in the state, but we do not use it to our advantage in working with these communities to solve problems and improve our schools.

How can the school district use its land to help deliver housing for teachers, school staff, and San Francisco families?

Affordable housing is something that I am passionate about and support. In our business, we take care of the most vulnerable in SF, the older adults, and adults with disabilities. The basic needs of shelter, food and care are the things that we try to provide. We are collaborating with city agencies and community groups to achieve this. We provide home care for those that are one step away from homelessness; therefore, affordable housing (and supportive housing) is something that I care a great deal about. As affordable housing remains a pressing issue statewide, I am fully supportive of providing aid to educators in this regard.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Did you attend SFUSD or public primary schools in other cities? How do our schools differ from when you were a student?

I attended public schools from elementary to middle to high school; I am definitely a product of the public school system and immensely proud of it. I graduated from high school back in 1983 so it was a long time ago. Schools now have many more challenges like security and digital access which make them so much more difficult to manage. The problems are complex but fixable; it just needs better management and execution.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

SF is my home, where I work and live. I have lived and worked all over the world and am no stranger to large cities. In fact, I have lived in NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Shanghai, just to name a few. What keeps me here is certainly my work, but it is also the love that I have grown to have for this city. I have walked and explored every part of our wonderful city and the potential is there. Our architecture is second to none, our bay is amazing, our diverse neighborhoods and culture is incredible, and the food is beyond compare, especially the bakeries! We have a lot of challenges, but the foundation is there; we just need better management and execution.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

SF is a beautiful diverse and multicultural city and that is what makes us amazing. Our communities are diverse, and it is reflective of the diversity of our families and children and their needs. I have walked all over our city and been to every neighborhood. They are unique and special, and we should value it. It is our strength and one that we should leverage to market and attract more families back to SF and SF public schools.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

SF has incredible assets, but I feel that it has been mismanaged for far too long. Aside from the gaps in public education, lack of safety/security, cleanliness, budget overruns in general and the growing cost of living all seem to be driving people away from SF. This does not need to be the case. We can do better with experienced people in key offices that can drive the necessary changes to our policies and government.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.).

As CEO of a healthcare organization based here in SF, we are members of many associations and organizations, and I am involved with many partners in the community. I work very closely with the SF Department of Disabilities and Aging Services, the SF, Human Services Agency, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the SF Corporation for Supportive Housing, the SF Dignity Fund Coalition, the SF Community Living Campaign, the Coalition on Solutions for the Homelessness Among Older Adults, the Elder Care Alliance, the SF Long Term Care Coordinating Council, the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Justice in Aging and many others.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!