These are the folks who have nominated themselves for the open seats on the Board of Directors, and for the office of President:
Below are the Candidates’ written statements. Here is a video recording of the Candidates Night, held on August 13, just as voting began:
Visit https://sfleatherdistrict.org/nominations/ for full nomination and election details.
Nominees for Board of Directors
Name: Stephen Roberts
Residence: San Francisco
Eligibility: History of activism, served reliably on LCD committees
Represents: Elders, Nonprofits
Candidate’s Statement:
Over the past year I have been fortunate enough to serve as a committee chair, committee member and associate Board Member for the District. My focus has been to learn about the organization and how it operates and find a place for myself that would support its work, its mission and its members. I’m proud of the impact I have had… so far. There is still work to be done that I feel I can do and hopefully act as lead on. I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue what we’ve started together and help make this organization everything it can be. Thank you.
Date Submitted: 7/9/2024
Residence: San Francisco
Eligibility: History of activism, served reliably on LCD committees
Represents: Elders
Candidate’s Statement:
I have been involved with the District since the organizations formative years. I was instrumental in creating our by-laws and have served as the President of Board for the past few years. I am not running for President again, since I think it is time for new leadership, but I still want to be involved with the organization, since there is much work left to do. I hope to be involved with the fund-raising effort that we will be mounting in the coming year, along with other important projects.
Date Submitted: 7/12/2024
Residence: San Francisco
Eligibility: Lived or worked in the District, served reliably on committees
Represents: Artists, Elders, Businesses in the District, Nonprofits
Candidate’s Statement:
As a dedicated member of the District since 2021, I’ve been actively involved in shaping our community. I have served on the Board of Directors for three years. During this time, I held the position of Treasurer for two years and was an active member of the Land Use Committee. This experience has given me a comprehensive understanding of our organization’s financial health and overall strategic goals.
I am eager to leverage my experience to support our upcoming fundraising initiatives and ensure the long-term sustainability of the District. I believe my financial acumen, combined with my passion for our community, makes me a valuable asset to the Board. I am therefore seeking another term to continue serving the community and driving our mission forward
Date Submitted: August 1, 2024
Residence: San Francisco
Eligibility: Lived or worked in the District, history of activism, served reliably on committees
Represents: Families, Artists, Nonprofits
Candidate’s Statement:
Over the past year, I have been honored to serve as an Associate Board Member and Co-Chair of the Communications Committee for the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. Additionally, I have actively participated in the fundraising committee, contributing labor, thought leadership, and outreach to various projects and events.
As a Board member, I am committed to advancing the growth and inclusivity of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. I plan to leverage my energy and experience by:
Diversity: Our community’s diversity should be reflected in our membership. I will champion efforts to engage with all segments of our community, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are considered.
Volunteerism: I aim to grow our volunteer pool and create a strong system for appreciation and retention. By working together, we can make the labor lighter and more rewarding, ensuring every volunteer feels valued and motivated to contribute to our collective success.
Fundraising: In light of recent budget impacts from shifting priorities, I will focus on grant writing and diversifying our funding sources. This proactive approach will help secure the district’s future and maintain our financial stability.
Date Submitted: August 2, 2024
Nominees for President
Candidate’s Statement:
As President, I will focus my efforts on diversity (reaching out to diverse communities in the District to ensure that they have a say in what we do and that we have a rich pool of candidates for Board elections, our Entrepreneurship Program, etc.), membership (organizing campaigns to increase membership), fundraising, and streamlining the onboarding process for new board members. I would maintain our commitment to increasing membership, promoting diversity of members, and outreach to diverse community organizations.
I’ve served on the Board for two years, as the Vice President for a year, and as Chair of the Diversity and Membership Board for over a year. I have hosted our Erotic Storytelling Hour since September 2020.
San Francisco Cultural Districts have been impacted by the Mayor’s budget cuts. To avoid being at the mercy of changing priorities, we must ensure we are not overly reliant on a given source of funding, and diversify to draw from private foundations, individuals, fundraising events, and supportive local businesses in the Cultural District. I would accomplish this by prioritizing fundraising and grantwriting and encouraging our supporters to sponsor us and to participate in our fundraising activities.
I have many years of grant-writing experience, having written successful grants for the San Francisco Juneteenth Festival, Iconoclast Productions, and the California Blues Festival. I also sought in-kind donations, sponsorships, and donated labor, services and goods for those events. As President, I would leverage this experience to ensure the sustainability of our operations and execute our collective vision.
Date Submitted: July 19, 2024
Residence: San Bruno CA
Candidate’s Statement:
The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is a passion project! I am dedicated to ensuring its longevity and sustainability as the world’s first and only district of its kind. In a time when visibility, representation, and destigmatization are critical, particularly amidst the shifting political climate, our District stands as an example, a beacon for others to follow suit. The existence of our District gives our voices a platform to be heard and the ability to have a real impact on government legislation that ensures the empowerment of our community.
Over the past year, I have had the honor of assisting in the creation of, and chairing the Development Committee. This committee is not just a part of our District, it is a priority. It is important that we are not all at the mercy of the political funding ebbs and flows, and the Development Committee plays a crucial role in this. As Chair, I’ve collaborated with fundraising consultants to look toward the future, strategizing what we need in order to transform our District into a self-sustaining non-profit organization. Additionally, I’ve curated training sessions to educate our board members and volunteers on how best to support the District, and an assessment of our strengths and weaknesses that I intend to address in the coming year.
In the spirit of transparency, it is important to disclose that I have been a quarter-time employee of SOMArts, our fiscal sponsor, since March, 2023. In this role, I provide labor on the day of events (loading in/loading out and staffing of booths), promote district events, build relationships with our constituents and trouble-shoot issues that impact the functionality of event management.
In the coming year, my intention is to focus on the creation of fundamental organizational structures; enhancing our policies and procedures, develop innovative fundraising strategies, and increasing outreach to recruit passionate individuals to steward the mission of the district. I am humbled by fellow board members who have encouraged me to run for President this election cycle, and I will be guided by my dogged determination, strong work ethic, and ability to unite diverse voices.
Date Submitted: August 1, 2024
Nominees: Please contact nominations@sflcd.org