Author: Alfredo Casuso

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

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MAYOR LONDON BREED APPOINTS ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVID CHIU TO SERVE AS SAN FRANCISCO CITY ATTORNEY

Assemblymember Chiu, who previously served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and as a public interest attorney, will replace Dennis Herrera, who served as City Attorney since 2001

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today appointed Assemblymember David Chiu to serve as the next San Francisco City Attorney. Chiu will succeed City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who served in that role since 2001 and will be the new General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Chiu has represented the 17^th Assembly District since 2014, during which time he has authored a wide range of bills on issues relating to housing, homelessness, transportation, education, environment, health, public safety, and civil rights. Before entering public office, Chiu served as a civil rights attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, a criminal prosecutor with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Democratic Counsel to the United States Senate Constitution Subcommittee, and a law clerk for Judge James R. Browning of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“I am proud to appoint David Chiu as the next City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco,” said Mayor Breed. “David has spent his career working to improve the lives of San Franciscans, from his time at the Board of Supervisors through his work as an Assemblymember. He has the vision, integrity, and experience, and I know he will continue to fight for the people in our community who are most in need. I know that he will bring that same approach to this new role and I am confident that the City Attorney’s Office will be in good hands for years to come.”

“I am deeply grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve as San Francisco’s next City Attorney,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “Throughout my legal career and in public service, I have seen the real impact of the law on everyday people. It will be an honor to be able to use the power of the law to fight for justice on behalf of the people of San Francisco in this new capacity. The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office has been on the forefront of some of the most important legal battles in the country, and I look forward to continuing that legacy.”

In the State Legislature, Chiu authored significant legislation to expand and strengthen the civil rights of women, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ Californians. As chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, he worked to protect tenants from evictions during COVID, and passed the largest expansion of tenants’ rights in California in decades.  Chiu fought often to protect consumers through the regulation of entrenched interests like pharmaceutical companies, Wall Street banks, lead paint companies, for-profit colleges, and gun manufacturers.

Chiu received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from Harvard University. The son of immigrant parents, he grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to San Francisco in 1996. Chiu would be the first Asian American City Attorney of San Francisco.

The City Attorney’s Office is tasked with providing legal services for the City and County of San Francisco. This includes representing the City in all legal proceedings, providing advice and written opinions, making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding settlements or dismissal of legal proceedings, investigating claims made against the City, and pursuing allegations of unfair and unlawful competition in the City.

“It has been the professional honor and privilege of my life to serve the people of San Francisco as their City Attorney for nearly 20 years,” outgoing City Attorney Dennis Herrera said. “I’m pleased to be able to leave this office in the hands of David Chiu, someone who is committed to the mission, values, and integrity that have made the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office so remarkable for so long. I’ve known David for years. He is a person of principle and integrity. He is committed to transparency and clean government. And he is independent. He is going to be a great City Attorney.”

Chiu will replace Dennis Herrera, who was first elected as City Attorney in 2001. Herrera will become the new General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on November 1, 2021.

Following Chiu’s start as City Attorney, the Governor will call for a special election to be held within 140 days for the Assembly District 17 seat. 

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Media Contact:  DP&A, Inc. / David Perry  (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

After 10 Years Leading the Union Square Alliance, Karin Flood Takes over the Reins of Landmark Flood Building

27 September 2021,  San Francisco, CA: Karin Flood, Executive Director of the Union Square Alliance (formerly known as the Union Square Business Improvement District) has announced that she is leaving her role at the end of October. As Executive Director, she represented the interests of property owners and merchants in the Union Square area who fund the organization through property assessments to provide clean, safe, marketing and advocacy services. The board and members of the Union Square Alliance thank Karin for her almost 10 years of distinguished service to Union Square and the City of San Francisco.

“The Union Square Alliance is extremely grateful for the esteemed service of Karin Flood. She is a champion and steward for our community and will forever have left her mark on Union Square,” says Mark Purdy, President of the Union Square Alliance Board of Directors and SVP Investment & General Manager, San Francisco at Grosvenor Americas.

Ms. Flood represented member interests through the ten-year SFMTA Central Subway construction project which will open for revenue service in the Spring 2022. To mitigate the effects of the construction during the holidays, the Union Square Alliance created the “Winter Walk” activation on Stockton Street– a pedestrian pop-up plaza with greenspace, food and entertainment for the public to enjoy.  Most recently, Ms. Flood led the district through the Covid-19 pandemic and has set up the Union Square district on a path toward recovery.

Highlights of her leadership include hosting the International Downtown Association Annual Convention in 2015 and the ten-year renewal of the Union Square Business Improvement District in 2019, which increased the annual budget by 60% and enabled the district to provide additional services. Under Ms. Flood’s leadership, Union Square Alliance developed a district-wide security camera network with 430 cameras and raised over $12 million in private funding to further supplement the efforts of the Alliance. 

During her tenure, Ms. Flood worked with 3 Mayors, 3 San Francisco Police Department Chiefs, 5 Central Station Police Captains, 3 Public Works Directors, 2 District Attorneys and many District Supervisors. In her role, it was always her goal to work collaboratively with San Francisco city leadership to solve problems and improve the safety, cleanliness and vibrancy of the Union Square area – the heart of our City.

In addition to her work ensuring Union Square continues to be a desirable destination for visitors and an economic engine for the City, Ms. Flood also recently served as the President of the California Downtown Association, an organization that advocates collectively for business improvement districts. She is also a member of the San Francisco Benefit District Alliance, the Co- Chair for the Central Station Police Advisory Committee and recently joined the San Francisco Police Foundation. 

Prior to leading the Alliance, Ms. Flood was the Director of Business Development and Marketing for MJM Management Group, a property management firm specializing in the management and activation of public spaces including Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square Park and several Mission Bay Parks. Ms. Flood also worked for San Francisco Public Works as the Coordinator of the Adopt-A-Street Program under Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr.  Ms. Flood is a fifth generation San Franciscan and resides in the City where she is raising her two children Anna-Liisa (20) and James (17).

Ms. Flood has announced she has become the President of Flood Corporation, overseeing the management and operations of 870 Market Street a role most previously held by her late father James C. Flood, who passed away in February 2020. 870 Market Street is a historic landmark also known as the Flood Building. The building was built by her Great Grandfather James L. Flood in 1904 as a tribute to his father and was then the largest building in San Francisco. It is now home to over 300 diverse office and retail tenants and sits at an important crossroad – the Powell Street Turnaround of the Cable Car – then and now. She is proud to be the first woman in the family to have to honor to be a steward for this magnificent building, in partnership
with property manager Wilson Meany, that in many ways serves tenants who represent and reflect the diversity and richness that is San Francisco.

The Union Square Alliance will announce a new Executive Director in the upcoming weeks. 

About the Union Square Alliance:
The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the District’s future success. Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco and an international destination where visitors come to enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay.  A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is generally bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com.

media contact: David Perry  / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

TransCanWork Announces Grand Opening of New Corporate Office and Welcome to New ED Lexi Adsit

27 September 2021 — WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA: Join TransCanWork in celebrating their new office space at the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (1001 N. Martel Avenue) in West Hollywood, CA on Friday, October 15  (5pm -7pm) for light food, drinks, entertainment and a tour of the new space.
TransCanWork is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA that centers TGI (trans, gender diverse & intersex) economic empowerment through gainful employment. We provide direct services by connecting job seekers in the TGI community with welcoming workplaces. We also work with businesses to create inclusive and welcoming work environments through gender inclusion training. http://www.transcanwork.org

TransCanWork is proud to be a selected Trans-led organization to have a home at the recently opened Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center thanks to AIDS Healthcare Foundation, FLUX, and the Unique Woman’s Coalition. Our CTWP collaborative partners include the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Black AIDS Institute, HRC, TransLatina Coalition, EQCA, St. John’s Transgender Health Program, California Workforce Development Board, city of San Diego, California Restaurant Association, Pollo West Corporation, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the city of West Hollywood.

COVID-19 POLICY:
Please Note: In order to gain entry to this event, you must be fully vaccinated and need to show proof in the form of an official vaccination card, digital card, or photo of your vaccination card OR you must present a NEGATIVE PCR, LAMP, or Antigen COVID-19 test within the last 48-hours. Masks will be required, regardless of vaccination status or recent COVID-19 test.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or the Delta variant, receive a positive test, or have recently had close contact with someone with COVID-19, please stay home and self-isolate in order to ensure the safety of others.

To register for the TransCanWork grand opening on Friday, October 15th, 5-7 pm, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/transcanwork-grand-opening-new-office-space-tickets-178523928877

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME INITIATIVE

SFPD led initiative aims to partner with private sector to result in higher reporting rates and more investigations, better enabling regional task force partners to solve cases and target upstream criminal enterprises

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today unveiled details from San Francisco’s Organized Retail Crime Initiative, a new initiative led by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) in partnership with local retailers and regional law enforcement agencies. The focus of the plan is to increase reporting, investigating, and solving of retail theft cases and the upstream criminal enterprises that fuel them.

The Plan has three main elements:

• Expanding and reallocating police investigative resources
  • Increasing the SFPD Organized Retail Crime Unit from two to five investigators and adding one dedicated Lieutenant to better investigate crimes locally and to work regionally with the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force
• Strategic restructuring of publicly and privately funded deployments
  • Dedicating SFPD personnel to ensure tightly-coordinated field operations and communications with retail partners
  • Tripling the SFPD Community Ambassador program, which employs retired SFPD officers to patrol and serve as deterrence, and expanding geographic area served 
  • Managing privately funded deployment of 10B officers to focus on deterrence
• Public-private partnerships aimed at reporting, investigating and solving cases
  • Increase reporting of crimes through expansion of Teleserve Unit, which was implemented during COVID-19 pandemic to take reports without in-person contact

“Retail theft and commercial burglaries are not victimless crimes,” said Mayor Breed. “They hurt working families due to reduced work hours, shuttered stores and lost jobs. They hurt customers and seniors who are losing convenient access to prescription medications and vaccinations because of pharmacy closures. They hurt neighborhoods suffering from fewer local retailers and more empty storefronts. The strategy we’re outlining today is an all-hands-on-deck approach that brings the full partnership of state and local law enforcement and retailers to bear to aggressively pursue, investigate and deter organized retail crime in San Francisco.”

“Mayor Breed directed us to develop a plan to maximize the impact of SFPD’s resources by strengthening our partnerships with retailers and law enforcement agencies, and leveraging our successes from such previously announced strategies as our Mid-Market Vibrancy and Safety Plan and Tourism Deployment Plan,” said Chief Bill Scott. “The result is our Organized Retail Crime Initiative, and we are incredibly grateful for the participation of local retailers whose partnerships are making this endeavor truly groundbreaking. This collaborative approach reflects the full promise of community policing — not solely to support our City’s economic recovery, but to better protect public safety that is too often endangered by retail theft crews and the sophisticated criminal enterprises funding them.”

Expanding and reallocating police and investigative resources

The initiative will expand SFPD’s Organized Retail Crime Unit from two to five full-duty sworn investigators under the command of a dedicated lieutenant. In addition to cases they investigate within their citywide purview, unit members will serve as full partners to the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which Governor Gavin Newsom reauthorized on July 21, 2021.

Prior to its reauthorization after sunsetting earlier this year, CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force worked in close partnership with the San Francisco Police Department in operations that recovered millions of dollars in stolen merchandise and cash from criminal enterprises engaged in retail theft activities. One of those coordinated operations led to an $8 million seizure in partnership with the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 30, 2020, in which multiple law enforcement agencies recovered merchandise stolen from San Francisco Bay Area retailers.

Strategic restructuring of privately funded deployments, expanded patrols

The initiative calls for reallocating resources to SFPD’s Field Operations Bureau to focus on deterrence. This will include a newly assigned lieutenant to coordinate privately funded “10B” officers and a sergeant who will function as a dedicated retail theft coordinator. Initial allocations of police officers’ 10B time are expected to average more than 3,800 hours per two-week pay period, spanning at least 34 retail locations citywide. Additionally, SFPD’s Community Ambassador program will be more than tripled in size — from 8 to fully 25 ambassadors — and expanded to cover new areas beyond Union Square (where it is currently focused), including Yerba Buena/Moscone Center, Lower Market/Embarcadero, Chinatown, and Fisherman’s Wharf. 

SFPD’s Community Ambassadors are unarmed civilians who patrol in high-visibility SFPD Community Ambassador windbreakers. Utilizing their wealth of law enforcement experience, these ambassadors observe and report issues and problem-solve within their assigned area in partnership with community stakeholders. Initially launched in November 2020 with eight retired SFPD officers as part of the Holiday Season “Safe Shopper” program, SFPD ambassadors have been instrumental in helping to solve several crimes to date, providing critical information that led to the arrest of suspects involved in several organized retail theft and robbery incidents.

Public-private partnerships aimed at reporting, investigating and solving cases

The San Francisco Police Department is dramatically expanding incident reporting capabilities for participating retailers under the Organized Retail Crime Initiative — initially through SFPD’s Teleserve Unit.

SFPD first implemented its Teleserve Unit last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate the intake of incident reports without the risks of in-person contacts. The system was upgraded in August 2021 to allow for reports of retail thefts to be prepared over the phone, a time- and cost-saving technique designed to encourage retailers to maximize their reporting of theft incidents. A planned upgrade to SFPD’s online reporting system from LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions will allow participating retailers to more easily report thefts via an online portal.

If successful in enabling retailers to maximize their reporting of retail crimes, a potentially dramatic increase in larceny and commercial burglary crime rates should be expected. However, more robust reporting and data aggregation will more effectively target the San Francisco Police Department’s deployment of police resources, while enabling SFPD investigators to more fully inform partner agencies within the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force. By better facilitating information from incidents together with accompanying evidence, the initiative can help to solve retail theft cases and more effectively target the upstream criminal enterprises fueling them.

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Media contact: David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Palm Springs Premiere of Dîner en Blanc SOLD OUT
Internationally Renowned “Elegant Pop Up Picnic”Takes Place Saturday, October 9

NOTE: Press Access Available with Advance RSVP

21 September 2021 – Palm Springs, CA:  A month before the Palm Springs Premiere of Le Dîner en Blanc on Saturday, October 9, the popular Parisian-style pop-up picnic characterized by its famous all-white dress code is SOLD OUT. As per the usual protocols for the event, the exact location of the event is only revealed an hour before the event, and only to registered guests, including media, who will be notified by via email and/or text.

“We’ve just been overwhelmed by the positive response,” said local Le Dîner en Blanc hosts Glenn Alexander and Geoffrey Macon. “It’s clear that following a very challenging 18 months, people are looking forward to celebrating with friends and family in a comfortable outdoor setting.”

In addition, everyone in attendance will need to provide advance notice of COVID vaccination and/or a negative Antigen test result according to Alexander and Macon.

More than 130,000 foodies and cultural enthusiasts around the world have already embraced this unique event. This très chic picnic is equal parts mystery tour, pop-up feast and je ne sais quoi. Over the years, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. What was a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris is a fantastic event where guests gather at an outdoor secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful locations.

To keep up to date on event announcements, visit palmsprings.dinerenblanc.com or

DinerEnBlanc.PalmSprings   dinerenblancpalmspringsca

#dinerenblanc #debpalmsprings2020