Mission Statement
Mission
To be accessible and accountable to constituents and community members; to support the work of local grassroots organizations and neighborhood groups; to facilitate community building and cohesion; and to advance city-wide policy that addresses the concerns of District 11 residents and promotes our vision of an inclusive, socially just San Francisco.
Vision
Economic Justice
- That a just, green, local economy supports the growth of small businesses; provides living wage jobs and a diversity of economic activities; and protects workers’ rights.
Diversity
- That all residents, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender identity, economic and immigrant status, religion, and/or sexual orientation, are respected and valued as community members of District 11, and that diversity of all kinds is celebrated.
Children & Youth
- That children, youth and young adults in District 11 are nurtured through relationships with supportive, caring adults; are challenged in local school environments and the broader community; and are empowered through meaningful opportunities for civic participation, higher education and employment.
Public Safety & Quality of Life
- That District 11 families feel a strong sense of security, and community cohesion and that the physical and environmental health of District 11 residents is enhanced through accessible public transit; safe and clean streets, parks, diverse and cultural competent public services and stable and accessible housing .
Goals "To be accessible and accountable to constituents and community members"
- Hold regular office hours in the District on a bi-weekly basis
- Sponsor town-halls on relevant District related topics on a bi-monthly basis
- Respond to constituents’ requests for information and make referrals to City departments
- Develop linkages between individuals, community groups and City government
"To support the work of local grassroots organizations and neighborhood groups"
- Continue meeting and communications with neighborhood groups
- Support local campaigns, events, and initiatives of organizations
- Support leadership development and empowerment strategies
"To facilitate community building and cohesion"
- Sponsor community building events
- Promote quality of life in the District
- Support relationship building between community based organizations to encourage solidarity and dialogue on common District issues
"To advance city-wide policy that addresses the concerns of District 11 residents and promotes our vision of an inclusive, socially just San Francisco."
- Protect the social safety net in an equitable budget process and increase resources for District programs and services
- Identify and win sustainable revenue sources
- Advance legislation and policy to protect the diversity of our city, ensure government accountability, and provide equitable level of services that promotes quality of life for all.
Description
John Avalos represents San Francisco’s District 11, including the neighborhoods of the Outer Mission, Excelsior, and OMI. He is a third generation Mexican-American, one of seven children of an ILWU longshoreman and an office manager. John earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Francisco State University. He and his wife, Karen Zapata, own a home in the Excelsior, and their two young children, Rene and Emiliano, attend San Francisco Community School, where Karen also teaches 4th grade.
John is among the first generation of his family to attend a four-year university, graduating with honors from UC Santa Barbara. He moved to San Francisco in 1989, and since then he has been dedicated to educating, organizing, counseling, and protecting the rights of his fellow San Franciscans. He worked as a counselor at both the San Francisco Conservation Corps and the Columbia Park Boys and Girls Club. He taught high school equivalency and college prep classes, connecting hundreds of San Francisco youth with employment, health care, and housing. John has served as a community organizer with Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, and as an organizer with the Justice for Janitors Campaign of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877, which won family-supporting wages and affordable health care for thousands of union members.
In early 2005, John began work in City Hall as a legislative aide to Supervisor Chris Daly. He ensured that the voices of San Francisco’s most vulnerable people were always heard. He helped craft the City’s budget as lead staff on the Budget and Finance Committee, streamlining government and finding greater efficiencies, and expanding funding for affordable housing, childcare, health and mental services, park restorations, and senior programs.
In 2008, John was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to represent District 11. In his first two years on the Board of Supervisors, John served as the Chair of of the most important committee -- the Budget and Finance Committee. He led the City’s efforts to close a $1 billion shortfall while preserving City jobs and services, protecting essential senior and children’s services and saving vital health programs.
John has a strong and substantive legislative record. He passed the nation’s strongest local hiring legislation, which provides thousands of employment opportunities for San Francisco residents on city-funded construction projects. He has passed protections for tenants in foreclosed properties and need-based rental assistance to low-income families at risk of becoming homeless. He also crafted the real estate transfer tax increase on high-end commercial buildings which has brought in $50 million in new revenue this year alone.
In his two-and-a-half year tenure as a San Francisco Supervisor, John has developed a reputation as an effective legislator with firm principles and values, strong work ethic, and a collaborative and unifying approach to getting the City’s work done.
