adults in need of intensive home care management. we play an active role in the coordinate healthcare council. for the past several months we have collaborated with others to develop and refine state legislation. prior to joining the consortium i was deputy director at center for independent living. while there i introduced numerous initiatives designed to enhance quality of life for seniors, designing wellness program, founding a statewide coalition, promoting free access to assisted technology, launching a community organizing initiative, integrating peer mentors to life long medicals and nursing residents back to the community through the state department of public health. as a community volunteer and person with a quintuple diagnose i've had -- i've been a peer

facilitator with sanityi, director at under one roof, a multi-year aids leader, numerous clinics, a member of glide and spent three years on the board of new leaf where i was -- on the elders program. like the others i'm interested in the data we can analyze to establish new policies and programs. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you. next we have michael smith and michelle alcedo. >> hello. thank you for the opportunity to speak and be considered for this position. i'm going to kind of speak -- and follow the e-mail i received yesterday. so, first, why would i want to be on this task force? well, in many, many respects, i could be one of the poster

children for the people that the task force seeks to assist. i am a 55-year-old single white male, planning on retiring in five or six years, and beginning the next chapter of my life, which is the give-back chapter. i've been an attorney for over 25 years, and have developed advocacy skills. i get reviewed every year on my ability to influence decision-making, to consensus-build across interdisciplinary teams, and globally. and i am alone here. my entire family is back east.

my job is in santa clara, so i have not had an opportunity -- gosh, i've already gotten the bell. so let's quickly -- just let me just make one more point. i do think that one of the biggest issues -- i know you're addressing the making service providers culturally competent, but i also believe that you should look at the aids model for community services. and i was an aids buddy during the 1980's. and i believe that establishing that kind of companionship program would greatly assist someone like me. so -- and also lastly and quickly, my company has a program that they started last year, that when you retire, no matter what age, if you

volunteer for more than 20 hours a week at a nonprofit, they will pay you a small stipend for two years and will also continue your health benefits. so i'm definitely taking advantage of that program. and i hope that being on this task force would enable me to perhaps create a new nonprofit to address needs. >> chair kim: thank you. >> yes. contact person would be bill hurst, executive director at the aids legal referral panel. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you so much. and after michelle, then we have mitchell marks. >> good afternoon. thank you so much for this opportunity for me to share with you my passion and commitment for serving or being of service to lesbian gay bisexual judge trernd older community in san francisco. i've worked for lgbt social

justice issues, his five years working specifically with lgbt aging issues at open house. i am well aware of the unique challenges facing lgbt older adults issues and barriers that include social isolation, safety, health, mental health, care giving issues, housing, internalized ageism, homophobia, transphobia, et cetera. for the past five years i've worked as a trainer for open house through the contract granted by department of aging and adult services to provide cultural competency to providers in the community. in the five years i have trained over 2,000 senior service providers in san francisco and the bay area. and i have worked to develop and enhance -- open house that includes best practices for working with the lgbt older adult community called from isolation to inclusion. the curriculum engages staff at

all levels, including front line direct care workers, caregivers, clinical staff, administrators and ceos so i have an acute understanding of the barriers senior service providers experience as they begin to implement the best practices for working with lgbt seniors. for the past three years i've cochaired the lgbt community partnership. for four years i've cochaired the asian community partnership so i think i bring lgbt sensitive to the api community. i also a board member of the coalition serving the elderly as well as the network of american society on aging where i was privileged to be selected to be part of a new ventures in leadership program for professionals color and aging where i produced a video on the needs of lgbt of color in san francisco. in it terms of recommendation -- >> chair kim: thank you. this is your time but i appreciate your application. thank you.

next, we have michelle marx, and i believe -- hurst let her office know she will not be able to attend. after that we have nikos diaman. i'm not seeing mr. marx. nikos diaman and perry lange. >> i was born in san francisco. i was born in the haight, and i spent my early years in the mission, and i live in the castro, and i live in district two right now. i've been an activist for over 40 years, and do have my résume. what i didn't include on there

is that i'm a father, and a grandfather at this point, and i'm very proud of that. and i was excited about the task force because i feel that it's an issue that i feel very strongly about. i'm 75, and alive and active at this point. and hope to serve on this task force. do you have any questions? >> chair kim: no questions. but thank you so much, mr. diaman. we also received your e-mail with additional information for your application. so thank you for sending that to us. we have perry lange and then ray

rudolph. >> good afternoon, commissioners, and thank you for your service. my name is perry lange, and i'm a 30 year resident of san francisco, 20 years in district 10. i'm a nonprofit manager and community leader. i come to you as an aarp eligible male, who has been a same gender loving relationship for the past 21 years. i come to you as a proud father and grandfather and i little come as a seasoned and dedicated community leader. i'm with the black coalition on aids but am concerned about issues for black and marginalized communities in san francisco. data suggests that we will not be able to build enough nursing homes for those soon-to-be eligible for them. and the key idea that i want to pursue as a member of this committee has already been

brought up, but i list it again. how do we best help seniors age in place. that's my biggest concern at this juncture. i strongly believe that we must build infrastructures and support networks to support those aging in place. and i would like to add my voice and the concerns of those that i know and represent to the solutions for healthy aging for all seniors. all ethnicities, genders and sexual orientation. please accept my application. i would be honored to be of service. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you, mr. lange. next we have ray rudolph and then rick crane. if neither applicant is here we have robert conors -- sorry. rick crane and then robert conors. >> good afternoon. my name is rick crane, and it's a privilege for me to address you this afternoon.

i think my main skills and expertise have been summarized in my application. just to summarize, you know, the challenge coming out as a gay man has been under my belt for a number of years but this is the first public setting which i've come out and said yes, i'm a senior, i'm an older adult. and it presents challenges internally. and i think that that is one of the context in which this work needs to be understood. particularly around the lgbt community and gay men. i have demonstrated in my application that i've lived in san francisco 40 years, i'm currently a resident of district 10, for the last 10 years i have been a day-to-day resident, probably spending more waking hours in the tenderloin, where i've been coo and assistant director and interim executive director of -- senior center. my work locally around aging has given me the experience of

working with city government, with city departments, and trying to create creative solutions and advocacy around the needs of seniors leveraging private and public resources. curry is a private and public partnership and that's some of the expertise i bring. my other professional expertise is in the area of hiv. i was the founding executive director of the san francisco aids foundation in 1981. and i have worked for 30 -- already? good lord. let me just summarize very quickly my concerns. one is my background is in strategic planning and my issue, as a member, is not about the content expertise that will be generated but the membership of a group that can work through difficult issues together. i'm concerned about focusing on good facilitation, on creating a clear process with clear outcomes, that -- community and stakeholder responsibility. i'm a big picture guy who can look across issues and find

major issues. two last things. one is i understand finance and budget. whatever we propose has to be both fundable and sustainable. and i think we need expertise -- >> chair kim: i need to have you wrap up faster than that. >> thank you very much. >> chair kim: thank you. i was actually -- your center today, and as always am appreciative of the work you do no our community. >> thanks very much. >> chair kim: next, we have robert connors, and scott hate haitsuka, and then -- >> good afternoon appear i would like to say it's both an honor, pleasure and privilege to be here among such highly respected professional colleagues, scholars, activists and members of the lgbt community. we have all worked hard to get

here. furthermore, i would like to thank the staff at open house, my professors at san francisco state university school of social work, and a former employee of newly outreach to elders whom without their knowledge, guidance and encouragement i would not be standing here before you. first, what i will bring to the lgbt senior task force is my long standing commitment and dedication to the lgbt community. arriving in san francisco in 1985 i witnessed the early onslaught and devastating effect of aids. i saw pain and suffering of friends, families and the community. i can remember my first volunteer job cleaning a shanti house on castro street, where six people lived, survived, and eventually succumbed so quickly, some in less than a month. although volunteering at shanti project had a glimmer of hope,

this is where i met a fellow volunteer, and my long time partner of 17 years. in 2006, i lost peter to aids. the last five years of his battle was fraught with -- physical conditions and accompanying emotional pain maver festing itself in the form of depression, anxiety and isolation. second, what i will bring to the lgbt senior task force my professional experience, knowledge and understanding of the issues facing lgbt older adults. my first year internship with open house was rich and rewarring. i began to understand the complexity of issues confronting our lgbt older adult community. as a social worker i will bring my skills as a researcher, community organizer, and negotiate. and lastly, i will bring a unique -- in which i view the world around me as an asian

pacific islander of japanese hawaiian descent. thank you. >> chair kim: stuart smith and ttommi mecca. >> thank you for this opportunity. you've gts all my information so i'm not going to bore you with that again. i appreciate your comments about bruce oka. i've worked with him for 12 years in the paratransit -- council. i believe that we have a great opportunity, based on my experience as a disabled man with liv to talk all these programs, all this immense outreach, and convert that into the services that our senior community needs. i've presented a possible idea to bevan dufty last month about cooling housing income, that seniors get in this city. i think that the shanti model could be used for peer support

for our seniors. we have so many resources, i think that this committee has the opportunity to bring some of these resources together, implement them, and deliver great services to our senior lgbt citizens. i appreciate your time, and look forward to service. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you, mr. smith. we did get many letters of support on your behalf. thank you for all the outreach that you did. >> thank you. >> chair kim: mr. mecca. >> hi. my name is tommi mecca. i'm 61 years old, i've been out and a ear activist for 42 years. i think what i bring to this task force possibly would be my 42 years of activism, my extreme passion in my activism, and my extensive knowledge of housing issues. everything from rent control and the rights of tenants under rent control to the nitty-gritty of how to do affordable housing. and i think we all realize, even though we don't have hard cold stats we know that housing is a

major -- affordable housing is a major need for seniors in san francisco, including lgbt seniors. my experience in housing issues is extensive. i won't go into all the details obviously. but i started getting involved in housing issues back in the mid-90's when the dotcom boom hit and people were being evicted. i was part of a defense team that helped defend these folks from their evictions. i helped set up three shelters, a food program and shower project for homeless queer youth who were victims of the dotcome boom. i worked among low income tenants in san francisco including a number of lgbt seniors who are my regular clients. i also worked extensively on 55 laguna in it terms of helping keep that affordable. finally i think my vision for such a task force would be as a

work group, a group that would get things done. it wouldn't just be a group that would talk but get things done because i firmly believe in getting things done. and we need a lot to be gotten done in this city. so i think my 42 years of activism, are a testament to the fact that i know how to get things done. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you, mr. mecca. we next have valerie agostino -- if neither -- >> good afternoon. my name is veronica fimbres. i want to serve on this task force. i'm a vietnam era veteran. i've grown old with the city, having served the city for over 22 years. i'm a nurse and realize the

aging process, how it takes place, and also a a person with osteoarthritis, all the little debilitating things that happen as you age. so i'm conscientious of all these things and of ada and everything else from triage, and also in 2000 i got 80,000 dollars on the care council to teach people how to work with transgender healthcare providers. and so i feel like i have a lot to give. you know, i'm not putting myself out to pasture quite yet. i also worked on open house as the focus group that -- before they came to fruition. so i feel like i want to do more, and i thank you for the opportunity to continue service. >> chair kim: thank you. and i apologize for the misspelling of your name on our agenda. >> thank you. >> chair kim: next we have bill ambrunn and william kirkpatrick. >> thank you, supervisors. so my question for supervisors

campos and wiener, are we having fun yet? this is an amazing turnout, and i don't envy the selection choices that you all are going to have to make. there are a lot of wonderful candidates. what i wanted to say is that what i think i can bring to the task force is, you know, my 25 years in law, government, politics, and nonprofit community here in san francisco. as i put my materials, i worked here as an aide to supervisor leal for a number of years and learned quite a bit about how the government works, how it doesn't work, how the political system works. and i think that as a number of people have brought up, what this task force is going to need, as much as anything, are people that can help work things through the process, and come up with realistic implementable, if that's a word, recommendations for the board to move forward. so i will make the pledge to you

because i know you have a lot of difficult decisions to make today, that if i am not one of the people selected that i will continue as i've done for the last two years, to work with your offices to -- the original goal the way we talked about it is the squeaky wheel gets the grease. as a group lgbt seniors are not squeaky enough. so the task force is the squeak, and there's a lot of implementation that needs to be done. so thank you very much, and good luck. >> chair kim: thank you. then we have our last two applicants, william kirkpatrick and william lipsky. >> good afternoon. thank you for this opportunity. you can see from my material that i've got 15 years of distinct experience in this specific area. so -- and also am impressed and really encouraged at the caliber and experience that the applicants -- candidates have brought forth.

and each though they may not have distinct background as myself, in fact, but they have incredible skillset that would be very well suited to this kind of thing. i have a cautionary tale. i've been on several types of these things, reincarnations, you do the needs assessment and the recommendations. what about those outcomes. yes, tommi, we're talking about goals, things that would be specific that could be used, and that the mainstream aging can learn from, how well we take care of our own, just like the aids situation. my particular interest is matching, appealing, creative outreach to the particular populations. we can't have a white, very dry form of outreach. i've seen it not work. i've seen it turn off people. i seen people very uninterested in participating in an agency-speak type of thing. we have to welcome them with

sexual interest. i love to see that be brought back into the the term, including senior sexuality. very important in terms of aids. and once that people do come that we treat them well and not turn them off with political-speak. i've had to retire three years ago and with that experience specifically in this area, now that i can work full time this is exactly the kind of thing that would be good for a match between my experience and commitment to this. i would be very committed to this. thank you. >> chair kim: thank you. and last but not least, we have william lipsky. >> thank you very much. i am delighted to be here this afternoon as a -- actually i'm delighted to be anywhere on the planet at my age, but particularly here because of the worthy task you have set before all of us, and yourselves.

i don't think i am qualified to be on this committee as an old gay man in san francisco, although i'm very glad that i've gotten to be an old gay man in san francisco. it is what i can bring to this. you don't need to know about what i've done in the past, just what i can do going forward into the future. we've heard a lot of very sound things today from the people behind me. one of the things that i would like to emphasize though is that we do not have an lgbt community in san francisco. you can look behind me. we have an lgbt communities in san francisco. different people with different needs. not everybody in this room has the same needs and the same requirements. we each take a look at that. we also need to look in terms of the people who we are talking about, in terms of this committee. who are the individuals that we are going to be trying to help. what do they need, specifically,

not just let's talk about these issues that we've had in the past. we've had housing issues since the gold rush. what housing issues are we talking about from members of the lgbt community in san francisco. what do they need. when do they need that. and how do they need to have that happen. we have a great model from the 1980's here when we have a community as a group of communities, and the city, responded to the aids plague in san francisco, and elsewhere. i think that model works. but i think we need to begin by looking at the individuals involved, what they need, and then how we can provide it. so thank you very much. >> chair kim: thank you, mr. lipsky. seeing no comments from colleagues at this time, i will open up for public comment. first, if you would like to speak on this item, please do line up.

again, we'll give two minutes. >> members of the rules committee, ray hartz, director of san francisco open government. although my primary focus is open government issues, as a life long member of the lgbt gay community, and now although i'll never admit it publicly, a senior, i want to just comment on the importance of this hearing, and the formation of this task force. i, and most of the people in this room, grew up at a time when acknowledging urban sexuality you would not do. you couldn't participate in government openly as a member of the community. and there were often cases where you wanted to address specific issues related to the community, but were unable to do so because to simply acknowledge you were a part of it was the death nel. i think the importance of this community was, like it or not, we are still struggling for

equal opportunity in the gay community around the uss. united states. there are significant portions of this country where being gay or lesbian or in any way different prohibits you from participating openly in government and especially in dealing with issues. one of the reasons i'm so proud of the gay community here is the fact that it sets the example for not only san francisco, but for the bay area, california, and i think for the nation as it opens up to gay lesbian bisexual and transgender and queer individuals, that there need to be issues addressed, they need to be open, and most importantly in my mind, the fact that for so many years members of our community were denied the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the process, and yet they had so much to give. and you're seeing that in this argument anauditorium. you have so many applicants, the desire to serve our community,

but not just the lgbt community, the entire community. >> chair kim: thank you. >> members of the committee, madam chair, supervisor wiener, my name is miguel gustos, a native san franciscan born and raised in the mission district and former commission on the redevelopment agency when we had a wonderful stellar redevelopment agency in the city. you know, i look at the group, the name, the long list of folks that are applying, and how awesome it is that our future is really bright, that, as a san franciscan, as a gay latino, to know that my future is in wonderful hands, all of you deserve such -- i mean round of applause, and a lot of luck. so there are a lot of folks. i want to say i want to lend my support to dr. nickel, jim illig, michael costa,