Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Dave Pine
Supervisor Carole Groom
Subject: Appointments to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for appointments to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Commission:
A) Steve Disselhorst, member for an initial term ending June 30, 2022; and
B) Dana Johnson, member for an initial term ending June 30, 2022; and
C) Giuliana Garcia, member for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2020; and
D) Carmen O’Shea, member for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2020; and
E) Krystle Cansino, member for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2021.
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BACKGROUND:
The Commission reports and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding policies, programs, procedures and legislation affecting LGBTQ individuals in San Mateo County, and provides outreach and support to at-risk and underserved LGBTQ populations within San Mateo County, including youth, communities of color, non-English speakers, older adults, and immigrants. The Commission promotes transgender inclusion among private and public entities in San Mateo County, including access to health care and to gendered spaces such as bathrooms and shelters. It develops initiatives to support LGBTQ families with children in San Mateo County and provides a public forum for input from the LGBTQ community to identify unmet needs.
DISCUSSION:
Steve Disselhorst, along with his partner and daughter, lives in San Bruno and has extensive experience working and leading diversity initiatives at Genentech, Abbott, as a volunteer with Our Family Coalition and the SF LGBTQ Speakers Bureau. Steve is serving a full term for a vacancy by former member Jose Romero-Betancourt.
Dana Johnson, currently with San Mateo County’s Department of Probation, has been volunteering with LGBTQ for many years. Dana has been with the SMC Pride Initiative for 14 years and has been helping to coordinate the annual Pride Celebration since it started in 2012. Dana is serving a full term for a vacancy formerly filled by Jennifer Walter.
Giuliana Garcia is soon to be a home-owner in East Palo Alto and has lived for ten years in SMC. She currently works for Oculus/Facebook and was a founding member of Amazon’s Glamazon group while also being part of Lesbians Who Tech. Giuliana is serving a partial term for a seat vacated by Lynn Schuette.
Carmen O’Shea is a parent and a passionate advocate for transgender youth in SMC schools. She is an AirForce veteran with 20 years of experience in marketing, human resources, and diversity & inclusion (currently with SAP). She is currently a Board member of East Palo Alto’s YMCA. Carmen is serving a partial term for a seat vacated by Stan Kiino.
Krystle Cansino is a proud member of the Filipino community from South San Francisco. Krystle has over 10 years of experience working in mental health services and the LGBTQ community. She has extensive volunteer and civic experience and currently works for the City/County of San Francisco. Krystle is serving a partial term for a seat vacated by Jeannine Menger.
These appointments contribute to the 2025 Shared Vision statement of a Collaborative Community. Our diverse population works well together to build strong communities, effective government and a prosperous economy, civic engagement - including voting, public service, charitable giving, volunteerism, and participation in public discussions of important issues - is uniformly high among the diverse population of San Mateo County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.