Author: AdminSFLD

Thanks for attending our Town Hall!

If you missed it, OR if you did not get a chance to give input on all the topics you care about, please use our
Community Input form !

This meeting was a key step in the creation of our District’s Cultural History, Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategies (CHHESS) report, which will guide our organization’s efforts — and help shape San Francisco city policy and priorities — for the next 3 to 5 years.

The Town Hall included this presentation about our CHHESS report by Julia Sabory, from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD):

 

The meeting also included breakouts session, with focus groups on the following topics:

Historic Preservation
Preserve and develop cultural and historic buildings, businesses, organizations, traditions, arts, events, & district aesthetics.

Tenant Protections
Protect tenants from displacement and promote affordable housing & homeownership.

Arts & Culture
Attract and support artists and cultural enterprises.

Economic & Workforce Development
Promote jobs, tourism and economic opportunities that stabilize the district’s economy.

Land Use
Create City regulations, tools and programs that support businesses & industries that advance the cultural district.

Cultural Competency
Promote culturally and appropriate City Services, policies, and narratives.

 

Online voting has now closed, and the results are below. 

Board of Directors

Of the 61 voters in this election, 39 cast ballots. Eric See, Val Langmuir, and Gene Edmond are the winners after counting the ballots using Scottish STV. You can view how OpaVote counted the ballots here.

President

Of the 61 voters in this election, 39 cast ballots. Bob Goldfarb is the winner after counting the ballots using San Francisco RCV. Bob Goldfarb had 92% of the votes in the final round. You can view how OpaVote counted the ballots here.

For convenient reference, the Board of Directors for 2020-2021 will be: Bob Goldfarb (President), Bob Brown, Gene Edmond, David Hyman, Val Langmuir, York Ng, Gayle Rubin,  Eric See, and Erik Will.

Details about the election procedures can be found here.  You can still read the Statements of Candidates here. To learn more about our vote-counting procedures, please visit this page, and explore the rest of the OpaVote Web site.  If you have questions or concerns, please  contact nominations@sflcd.org.

The Nomination Committee of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District extends its thanks to everyone who participated in this election.  

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View 2020-21 Board and Officers here.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District may have an opportunity to construct a major piece of public art, to serve as a “gateway” to our special SOMA neighborhood.

We have had a number of excellent design submissions, and our Committee has narrowed our choices to four designs:

Please click on each submission, above,
to view it or read the description.

Then please click here to give us your opinion.

After a comprehensive and competitive search, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Cal Callahan has been selected as the new District Manager.  Mr. Callahan is a nonprofit professional with more than 20 years’ experience who has been instrumental in the growth of the Positive Resource Center’s Bare Chest Calendar.  Cal is the former Director of Community Engagement for the Positive Resource Center (PRC) and was chosen for this position for his many connections in the SOMA area and his commitment to successful fund-raising efforts and volunteer coordination. He also previously served at the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.

Mr. Callahan replaces Beth Hunt who resigned to move to the East Coast to be closer to family.  The Board thanks Beth for all her hard work and networking as the Cultural District’s first District Manager.  She worked tirelessly to network with the community, represent the District at city meetings, and implement our founding systems and procedures.  The Board wishes her all the best in her new endeavors.

Mr. Callahan is a 37 year Bay Area resident, who is known for networking, building organizations, innovative fundraising, creative event planning, leadership skills, broadening diversity, and community relations. He takes a key position at the world’s first cultural district to focus on the leather and LGBTQ communities.

“We are thrilled to name a new District Manager with such deep community connections and experience who will help lead our organization on a path to being a cultural hub in SOMA,” said Bob Goldfarb, President of the Cultural District.  “We cast a wide net in our search and believe that Cal’s management and fundraising skills will play an essential role as we work toward our goal of establishing a permanent community center in SOMA.  His connections to diverse communities will increase our organization’s diversity both internally and to the constituents we serve.”

Mr. Callahan began working for the Cultural District at the beginning of August, 2020.  Community members have been quick to express their support. Jack Thompson, International Mr. Leather 2019, the first trans POC to win that title and a founding father of ONYX Northwest, said, “Without needing to know anything about me, Cal showed me kindness and support. He shows it to everyone around him. I am so happy for him to be able to show that same kindness and support to the entire community as District Manager for the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District. I couldn’t think of anyone better suited for this position.”  Jon Ojinaga, Owner of Azucar Lounge said, “When Azucar Lounge opened 9 years ago, Cal came to welcome us to the neighborhood and has been a big supporter of local business. We’ve worked together on a large variety of events and I look forward to continuing our collaborations. Demetri Moshoyannis, Managing Director of Individual Giving at GMHC and formerly Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships at PRC, said, “He’s a great community organizer, an amazing listener, and an even better project manager! I’m sure he’ll do great things on behalf of the Leather & LGBTQ District and the Western SoMa neighborhood.”