Mayor Lurie Appoints Community Leaders To New Food Security Council
SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced eight appointments to San Francisco’s new Konseho ng Seguridad sa Pagkain , bringing together nonprofit executives, community advocates, and experts in food and public health to advise the mayor’s office and city departments on sustainable, long-term food security strategy that moves beyond emergency relief. Mayor Lurie appointed Dr. Gina Fromer, Adrian Gaino, Maja Marjanovic, Gabriel Medina, Jade Quizon, Md Hasinur Rahman, Shanell Williams, and Winnie Yu.
The new council builds on Mayor Lurie’s work to help San Francisco families provide for basic needs. After the federal government cut hundreds of millions of dollars for healthcare and food assistance through H.R. 1, Mayor Lurie made Malaking pamumuhunan upang palakasin ang social safety net ng lungsod , kabilang ang Dolyar34 milyon para matulungan ang mga Pilipino na manatiling naka-enroll in CalFresh and Medi-Cal benefits. When last year’s federal shutdown jeopardized SNAP benefits nationwide, the mayor brought together public and philanthropic partners to backfill food assistance para sa 112,000 San Franciscans in just a week, and he recently established the Tanggapan ng Koordinasyon ng Seguridad sa Pagkain to help families put food on the table. Through his Agenda ng Oportunidad sa Pamilya , Mayor Lurie is also expanding access to childcare at after-school programming while supporting the construction of new affordable homes to help San Franciscans put down roots.
“Our work to make San Francisco a place where families can put down roots and build a future starts with helping families put food on the table,” said Mayor Lurie. “As families navigate the rising cost of living, our administration is expanding access to childcare, tackling our rent emergency, and stepping up for families after Washington cut critical assistance. Our new Food Security Council is the next step, and I am grateful to this group of leaders for their continued service to San Francisco.”
Dr. Gina Fromer is president and CEO of GLIDE Foundation. She previously served as CEO of the Children’s Council of San Francisco after holding executive roles at the San Francisco Education Fund, YMCA of the East Bay, and YMCA of San Francisco. She also served as California state director for the Trust for Public Land. Fromer holds a PhD in organizational development and leadership from the University of Arizona Global Campus, a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dominican University.
Adrian Gaino is the owner of Adrian’s Atrium, a small business in the Bayview. Drawing on personal experience with food insecurity and longstanding family ties to the Bayview community, she serves on the Bayview Food Security Advisory Board, the Umoja Health Access Point Steering Committee, and the Bayview Shuttle Committee. Previously, she was a community culinary and agriculture specialist at Seed to Mouth and worked in fresh food preparation and composting at Just Juice. Gaino also served on the Candlestick Park Advisory Committee and the Candlestick Community Ambassador Program and volunteered with Community Grows and Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth. She has completed training in nutrition education, small-business development, and community leadership through Leah’s Pantry and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.
Maja Marjanovic is the chief strategic partnerships, advocacy, and voice officer for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Most recently, she served as director of policy and programs at the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women. Previously, she worked for Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, where she led policy initiatives on gender-based violence prevention, equity, and public safety. Earlier, she worked with the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, managing a women, peace, and security program at UN Women and overseeing a public-sector strategic planning and policy development initiative at the United Nations Development Program. Marjanovic holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Macalester College.
Gabriel Medina is the executive director of La Raza Community Resource Center, with nearly 30 years of experience in affordable housing, immigrant rights, economic development, and social services. He also serves on the Mission YMCA Board and the University of California San Francisco’s Community Advisory Group. Medina previously held leadership and community engagement roles at Mission Neighborhood Centers and the Mission Economic Development Agency.
Jade Quizon is the project director of the Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty (FAACTS), where she leads coalition advocacy for equitable access to food resources in San Francisco. Previously, she was development manager at Farming Hope and program manager at the API Council, after spending nearly a decade at Genentech. She completed Pie Ranch’s Emerging Farmers Program and holds a Master of Development Practice from the University of California, Berkeley, a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of California, Davis, and a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Urban Permaculture Institute.
Md Hasinur Rahman is a financial services professional. Originally from rural Bangladesh and raised by parents who worked as farmers, he spent nearly 13 years in banking, including work to connect underserved and remote communities with financial services. When he moved to San Francisco, he worked as a student assistant at Loyola House, where he supported food preparation and distribution. Rahman holds a Master of Arts in professional communication from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in English language and literature from Dhaka International University. He is pursuing a PhD in information technology at the University of the Cumberlands.
Shanell Williams is CEO of the Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness. Previously, she was director of community engagement and partnerships for the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative and held leadership positions with the Young Women’s Freedom Center. She served on the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2024, including two years as board president. She has chaired San Francisco’s Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee and served on the Workforce Investment San Francisco Board and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Board. Williams holds a master’s degree in urban and public affairs from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and planning from San Francisco State University.
Winnie Yu is the chief program and compliance officer at Self-Help for the Elderly, with more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit program administration, including federally funded programs, grant writing, and regulatory compliance. Yu also serves on the advisory board of the San Francisco Tech Council and the Community Advisory Board of UCSF’s Center for Aging in Diverse Communities. She holds a degree in political economy of industrial societies from the University of California, Berkeley.
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