Mayor Lurie Appoints Leaders to Key San Francisco Commissions

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced the appointment and reappointment of nine community leaders and experts to key San Francisco commissions. The new appointees will work with Mayor Lurie and city staff to support San Francisco’s vibrant communities and drive the city’s economic recovery.

The mayor has appointed Hessah Al-Jiran to the Immigrant Rights Commission, Keontae Clark to the Mayor’s Disability Council, Monroe Lace to the Human Rights Commission, and Dr. Meredith Williams to the Recreation and Parks Commission. He reappointed Patrick Carney to the Arts Commission, Bianca Neumann to the Building Inspection Commission, and Vanita Louie to the Recreation and Parks Commission. He nominated Jordan M. Wilson to the Entertainment Commission and renominated Sharky Laguana to the Homelessness Oversight Commission.

“These appointees are experts in their fields and will bring a critical perspective to the commissions they serve—helping us build a safer, stronger, and more vibrant San Francisco,” said Mayor Lurie. “I look forward to working with each of them to support San Francisco’s communities and deliver safe and clean streets to drive our city’s comeback.”

Hessah Al-Jiran is a strategist, builder, and entrepreneur with a dynamic background in product design, operations, and team leadership across the U.S. and the Middle East. She currently leads a stealth venture and is the founder of Bridge x, where she manages an international team of designers and engineers to bring digital products to life. A bilingual leader speaking English and Arabic, she’s also co-founded two NGOs in Kuwait and participated in U.S. State Department exchange programs.

Patrick Carney has participated in numerous complex renovations and historic preservation projects, including the renovation of San Francisco City Hall. Beyond his architectural career, Carney’s community leadership efforts includes work to expand civil rights and stop hate crimes. Carney has not only been the yearly-organizer of the installation since the beginning, but he is also the founder and yearly-organizer of the annual Pink Triangle Commemoration Ceremony. Carney holds a Master of Architecture degree from U.C. Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in architecture from Cal Poly.

Keontae Clark is the founder of Key Connections Care Card, a nonprofit that provides essential care services for disabled and unhoused individuals, and Mubayo, an initiative promoting entrepreneurship among underrepresented youth. His professional experience includes roles as a marketing representative for Exoskeleton by Rewalk Robotics and a practitioner with Urban Alchemy, where he supports unhoused individuals through intervention, case management, and connections to housing and mental health resources. Clark holds a real estate license and completed the Construction Administration and Professional Services Academy training from City College of San Francisco.

Monroe Lace is an educator and advocate with a strong commitment to public service and community leadership. She teaches social studies at San Francisco Unified School District. In 2023, Monroe made history as the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss San Francisco in the state’s 99-year history of the competition. During her year of service, she launched a public safety platform, “Stay Safe, California!,” partnered with the San Francisco Education Fund to teach civics and character education to more than 3,000 students, and engaged with city leaders on neighborhood concerns.

Sharky Laguana is an entrepreneur and musician. As a child, he experienced homelessness and later lived and worked in a single-room occupancy hotel on Market Street. Despite these challenges, he pursued his passion for music and became a professional musician in his late 20s, and after the band broke up, started a small business renting vans to musicians. The business eventually expanded into a fleet of hundreds of vehicles with locations across the country. Laguana was appointed to the Small Business Commission in 2019, where he served as president from 2020 to 2022, overseeing the Office of Small Business and working to support small businesses throughout COVID-19.

Vanita Louie is a retired travel industry entrepreneur and pioneer with a nearly three-decade career. The company that she built, South Pacific Express, Inc., has received numerous awards in tourism and performance. Louie has deep roots in the Chinatown neighborhood, having been born at Chinese Hospital. She is the granddaughter of Tong Yee Foo, a famous candy maker known for the Chinese coconut and melon candy celebrated during the Chinese New Year season. She moved with her family to the Richmond District and for the past 30 years has lived near the Western Addition neighborhood.

Bianca Neumann is a senior housing and development professional with extensive experience in affordable housing, finance, and public policy. She currently serves as director of business development at EAH Housing, where she leads new business strategy for Northern California. A licensed real estate broker and certified tax credit specialist, Neumann brings advanced financial modeling skills and a strong background in policy analysis, compliance, and community engagement. Neumann is a graduate of San Francisco State University, combining technical expertise with a mission-driven focus on affordable housing and community development.

Meredith Williams, PhD, currently serves as a senior fellow at the Green Science Policy Institute. Dr. Williams previously served as director of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) after being appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. In that role, she carried out DTSC’s mission to protect California’s communities and environment from toxic substances. She is an accomplished, versatile leader in nonprofit, regulatory, and corporate sectors, passionate about pragmatic solutions to protect the people and planet.

Jordan M. Wilson is a fifth-generation San Franciscan and accomplished public policy and communications professional with a strong track record in local government, strategic initiatives, and public affairs. He currently serves as the director of communications and public affairs at Bay FC, where he leads the club's external engagement strategies. His research and professional work reflect a deep commitment to civic engagement and community-driven policy. He serves on the boards of San Francisco Achievers and the George Washington High School Alumni Association.