in 1995. i became part of the process trying to afford others the same opportunities i got. i feel strongly and passionately people need to be given the opportunity to help themselves. there will be tremendous changes and a lot of volatility in the city, and i think some big changes have to happen . i think i bring a different perspective and insider knowledge. i currently work at ucsf in global health sciences. i participate in a master's program. i sat on the citizens' advisory board for the central subway and i am in your district. supervisor kim: i know, thank you for being on that board. >> this is my passion. i still work with the people at the lansing street. we u facilitate groups and work

with residents when they reached three months prior to leaving clancy street. they start looking jobs -- looking for jobs and housing. i try to help them out. it is important to get yourself situated and feel supported. as an out gay male who did not have a big support system, i think it is important to build that foundation. thank you very much for listening. supervisor kim: thank you. and i also see that you have served in south beach. >> yes, we have a very active leadership council. supervisor kim: thank you. next, we have ronnie muniz. after that, robert kane. >> good afternoon. my name is ronnie muniz, and my

qualifications are i have done to terms in four different prisons. what i was incarcerated, i took my ged so i could get out and go to college and amount to something. i try the drug and alcohol certificate class's, then i got a passion for doing faith-based work. i created a faith-based organization. i help people get housing, drug programs, education. we have three different homes. i started this organization from the ground up. we became a nonprofit a few years back. i do work in all of the county jails, including san bruno. i do every entry program, getting them prepared for coming out so they have housing, education, drug programs, clothing, wherever they need to go to, we create that format to work with the department, the probation department. i have been doing that about four years.

i have a good rapport with them. we go to court for them, we deal with the probation department so we have the cooperation of people working to keep them out. i feel that since i have made it this far that i can show another individual who has been -- and now my road how to make it this far, how to create a business, and give back to the community. i have worked with incarcerated juvenile as well. what i'd like to do is continue to worke, as most is voluntary, even though i am nonprofit, i build or pores with different organizations, collaborate together. so that is what i do and that is what i believe my qualifications are. supervisor kim: thank you so much, mr. muniz. any qualifications for our applicant?

next, we have robert kane, then viet mike ngo. >> good afternoon. thank you for taking the time to listen to me. my name is robert kaine. i recently graduate from uc- berkeley. the same year, i had a trial, lost the trial, spent four months at san bruno, and then i was really fortunate to get the opportunity to do my community service at an organization were am now a consultant. i see a lot of problems with the system, and i have ideas for how to approach reducing it recesses of his own as much as possible by building coalitions with -- about reducing recidivism as much as possible by building coalitions so they feel they have a chance. and that is pretty much it. supervisor kim: thank you so

much, mr. kane. thank you for being here and applying. next we have ivet mike ngo, and then i will call nicholas gregoratos. >> good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for this opportunity. i am humbled the considered for this council. i qualifications are i have been a prisoner more than 20 years. i have been recently released. while in prison, i had to go through a process with the parole hearings. they make sure that i am ready for parole. so i had to get a vocation, degree, place to stay. i have been involved in reentry programs, youth deterrent programs, substance abuse programs, alternative to

violence programs. i am very familiar and intimate with the struggles that come with reentry. i am also in northwest committed a response network outreach worker. at the core of why i want to be on this council is because i want to break the cycle. i want to break the cycle of a person going to prison, getting out, and coming back to prison, because i understand the misery and the damage that comes with this process, the damage not only to the individual but to the community, the government resources that are allotted to go to prison, and institutions, instead of going to better programs. but mostly, i want to be on this council because i work with kids. i know that a parent who is incarcerated, their kids are

more likely to be incarcerated, and i want to break the cycle. i work with kids. i see what happens to them. i see the misery and suffering that comes with family members of the incarcerated. thank you for giving me this opportunity. supervisor kim: thank you, mr. ngo. were you involved and advocating for ethnic studies? >> yes, i was. supervisor kim: thank you so much. >> you are welcome. supervisor kim: i am going to call nicholas gregiooratos. we gave everyone a couple of minutes to speak about this position and why it would like to serve. >> yes, think. sorry, i had eight appointment that was previously scheduled. most of what i have to say is in the paperwork, but i have been out of jail for a long time.

i have been cleaned, off drugs, over 24 years. after i left, i stopped doing drugs, went to college, became a schoolteacher, and eventually became a lawyer and get a job with the sheriff's department. i have been listening to the people, and you have a lot of good people to choose from. part of me feels, and i think i said this before, it has been so long since i have been in custody that maybe i did not even qualify, but at the same time i have done so much since i have been out of custody that think i have a lot of experience to give. i have spent a lot of time helping people get out of jail. and when i was a schoolteacher, helping kids. one of the things, i look back, the reason i did not go to prison and i know this, my father was a colonel and the army and a doctor and my mother was a professional also. when i was younger, even though

i chose to do everything opposite of them, chose to take the route i took, i had the upbringing that a lot of my colleagues don't have. i was able to pull on that to get myself out. i am grateful for that. i think that in some ways, getting to where i have gone, i am a good example to others. i know i am. i have basically dedicated my life, since i got clean, to helping people, and i continue to do that, what i did this position are not. you have a lot of people out there who have done good. so that is it. any other questions? supervisor kim: thank you for being here. i saw that you taught at thurmont. do you speak spanish as well? >> i did not. supervisor kim: it is a dual language immersion program. >> i left there before they went tool immersion. as a great school, the. supervisor kim: it is a good school.

thank you for being here. at this time, we will open up for public comment, if there are any. and we will give two minutes. >> my name is melissa, and i'm here to speak on behalf of jamie brewster. i have a letter in support of his nomination from out my employer, the ceo. she asked me to read this because i was not able to make it. "it has been an honor to work with jamie brewster. he understands the employees of re-entering the workforce for the first time. he is a passionate advocate for students and has built a credible and reliable partnership. he would bring an important voice to the reentry council and i recommend his appointment without reservation. think for consideration." when i met jamie, i was at

walden house, on