is kimberly courtney. i qualify, doing some county time in at san francisco, san mateo, not multiple terms, but upon my release from custody, but i immediately put myself into a rehabilitation program and was allowed to do a couple of internships with the public defender's office and the social workers that allow me to go into custody and work with women who are needing services while i was still on parole. since then, i have done multiple jobs, mostly within custody. primarily getting people treatment from jail, facilitating the paperwork, making sure the lawyers know what is available for them, calling multiple programs, seeing if i can get that

available for the clients that want that. i take requests for free entry services all day, every day. i work with a charter school, so i am that cj-5 and cj-2. some of my clients are the students in the school, and we have hundreds. it is reentry services, not just substance abuse, how to get them registered for school, help them get into a shelter of that is what they want, if they are in a violent situation, planning a safety plan with them. currently, most recently have been working at the women's reentry center with the women who have been released from custody who still have to do some swaps services or maybe electronic monitoring while they're on probation. helping them find jobs, look for jobs, learn how to look for a job, and multiple services.

there is nothing we won't do. we will transport them to treatment. i feel fortunate to be able to do this work after living my life a different way for a very long time. i have been to school. i have learned many things aabot addiction and criminal thinking, but most of all, i have walked through the process. i have been released. i had to start over. what did i need to get. and how to maneuver through the system to get your needs met. i certainly have an opinion on how to help others do the same. supervisor kim: thank you so much. >> ok. supervisor kim: i am a big fan of teachers. i think it is amazing what you have been able to do there. thank you.

>> thanks. supervisor kim: next, we have kevin joseph, then jamie brewster. is kevin joseph here? if not, jamie brewster. >> good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for this opportunity. my name is jamie brewster, and i am a program manager at the reconstruction solar training program, where have been employed just over six years. i was also recently appointed to the work force advisory committee by former supervisor daly. in 1995, a graduate from state prison. i did at 3 terms and to violations before getting my life together and back on track. in 2001, i was discharged from parole and never looked back. by help people enter society and

be successful in life. if given the application is serve, i will do everything in my power to help those in need. but i just want to say that i dedicate my life to assisting those who have been down the path i have been down. it is extremely important to me. i died individuals down the right road, and that is why i am here. -- it is extremely important that i died individuals down the right road and that is why i'm here. supervisor kim: thank you. i saw you speak at the graduation and it is important to work you do. thank you. next, we have gerald miller. after gerald miller, we have hobert lee. >> good afternoon. before we get started, i want to say supervisor kim, thank you very much for having office hours on saturday. i have lived in that neighborhood between the 600 block and 700 block of the

embarcadero since 1981, and have never been office hours. i want to thank you for that. supervisor kim: thank you. >> i have served on the reentry council the number of years. i was with one reentry council when there were two. i find it funny that one of my qualifications that gets me there is that i was a terrible criminal. i have bad in and out of jail, and just cannot figure that out. i actually spent 15 years at delancey street, and still cannot figure out what i wanted to do. i went to truck driving school, graduated from colgate university. after that, i left and moved across the street and started working for the center on juvenile and criminal justice, which is where i employed now. basically what i do is i case manage and manage programs for

juvenile justice. i also worked with people who are trying to get back on track and kind of get their feet back on the ground. i am just looking for reappointment because i like what i am doing. i was on the reentry council before it was sexy, when we would just meeting in one of these rooms somewhere. sometimes we cannot have their room, sometimes we got kicked out of the room. now we are at the state building, at the federal building. i'd just like what i am doing, and i think san francisco is over the represented by african- americans oughin the criminal justice and juvenile justice system, and i just think that having people see that there is a way for bringing people that you can actually get out of what

you are into and become a regular civilian, i think that helps a lot of people just by being able to say, ok, look, if he could do it, i could do it. supervisor kim: thank you. i there any questions for the applicant? seeing none, think. you have been serving two years on the council correctly? and also, thank you for your work on the treasure island community advisory committee as well. next, we have hobert lee. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is hobert lee. my qualifications for this commission are rather extensive. i have had three straight -- three state prison terms. i have been to the san francisco county jail on numerous occasions, but this last time to chose to make a change in my

life. when i got released from prison in 2009, i immediately went to my parole officer and inform him -- and informed him of appreciate the opportunity to get into drug treatment. i went and immediately got myself into walden house and the diagnosis program, because i not only have a substance abuse problem, i suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder and i am also hiv-positive. once i complete it the stabilization process at walden house, i immediately went to my case manager and asked if they could get me some assistance in furthering my treatment process. being a veteran, they told me it

would be a good idea to go to third street, the downtown va clinic, and connect with them, which i did. and i was granted to admittance into the program at treasure island, where i stayed at 18 months, graduated from there. in the process of being in that program, i participated in computer one and computer two at the park presidio facility, and completed that. i went to city college and took a course in community mental health so that i could better addressed ptsd and find what it was that kept me stock and -- stuck in that bad behavior for such a long time. i completed that, caught my

certificate in community mental health, and was told about the position that became available with the city and county of san francisco pretrial diversion project. and i got hired by my then- supervisor as a peer navigator, assisting inmates coming out of county jail as well as state prison who were hiv-positive in finding -- what i did, i assisted them in finding primary-care providers, social services, social security, making sure they made it to court on time, and just this may i applied for a job with the department of veteran affairs, where i am now employed as a

vocational rehabilitation specialist and job developer for the veterans administration. and my primary duties there are to assist veterans who are coming from -- coming home or at risk of homelessness or are homeless in finding gainful employment. we go door to door and we connect with numerous employers, and offer them different incentives in order to hire our veterans, as well as we set up training sections for mock interviews, teaching our veterans and how to navigate the usa jobs and cal jobs process as far as resume writing. and i do some case management and i report directly to the secretary of veterans affairs.

those are my qualifications. supervisor kim: thank you so much. we were talking about ensuring our veterans cannot become homeless and are able to find jobs and housing. thank you so much for that work, mr. lee. next, we have bradley reiss, then robert mansfield. >> good afternoon. my name is actually bradley reiss, and i am a san francisco native, formerly in course or a person. am currently working with the charter school with the sheriff's department of the in custody treatment program. substance abuse, behavior modification and reentry is what we focus on. i spent most of my life in and out of institutions. this is my third job.

the work in a shelter for a few years and i worked at the open house -- and i worked at walden house. i think i would be a great addition to the council. my experience before and after incarceration, so i would like to be considered. it is a passion of mine. i refer clients every day all through san francisco. and that is it. supervisor kim: thank you, mr. reiss. >> thank you. supervisor kim: next, we have robert mansfield. i will call leslie levitas just in case she came, but she informed are often she would not be here, then ronnie muniz. mr. mansfield? >> hazmat the 1980's, 1985, in and out of the county jail, and i graduated from the prison

system in that 1985. i somehow had the state -- the sense to go to the lynsey street 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 parole, single mother, with no direction. i don't have a college degree. and if it was not for meeting jamie at that time, i might not have been able to get that confidence that i needed to know to be successful and to know there was a place for me in society, to want to stay clean. to want to live a successful life is great. if you cannot relate to someone who is in your shoes when you are going through the process, it is difficult. he gave me the confidence and things have been going well. i have been employed for a year and half. i have my son. >> supervisor campos: thank you for being here.

-- supervisor kim: thank you for being here. >> i am here to speak briefly for three folks, i did not know that jamie was one of the appointees. we hired -- for that program. he is early every day and stays late and works harder than anyone else to serve the inmates. he runs the program and has been trained in the prison project in san quentin. he is the sort of person that the city needs on this council. the other is kim courtney. kim i can say has placed more

people in residential treatment than any other program in the county jails and i would say all those other programs combined. she dead -- does that with brad's support and help. jamie, i i have worked with jimmy. we partner with his program. it is one of the best partnerships we have. the passion he brings to his work is incredible. we have a lot of great candidates. thank you. supervisor kim: they give for being here. is there any other public comment on this item? seeing none, public comment is closed. i want to reiterate it was an honor to read your applications and to read about the incredible work you have done and the

challenges you have confronted and addressed and a willingness to work with other people from young people to veterans and the disabled to hiv-positive and make our city a stronger place. i was not sure how we would go about doing this. we have two incumbents. how many years has she served? mr. miller has served for two years. >> two years. supervisor kim: i was going to suggest appointing the incumbents back to their seats and have low level of continuity. i am open to hearing from my colleagues. this is a challenging decision for all of us. the other thing i did want to point out is we have to appointees from the sheriff's department. i know the sheriff has a seat on

the council and i do not want to be random about how we're making the selection process but we have so many applicants that was something i thought about as well. supervisor elsbernd. supervisor elsbernd: i will start with what i think maybe a potentially easy one. we do have three applicants that qualify for seat 3. i was impressed with [inaudible] and the work he did. thai would like to see him on this council. on the seat 3 spot. supervisor kim: i would like to see that as well. supervisor elsbernd: i wthink it is important that this committee has tried to bring diversity