>> congratulations, david, and we look forward to seeing you here at city hall and in the community. and with that, our next commendation will be provided by supervisor kim. >> i want to bring up our next honoree, mario yudidio. (applause) >> so, mario, i'm just the beginning. i just got the honor to begin the honoring of your service

here at city hall. i just first want to really thank you for your service to our young people here in the city and county of san francisco. i got to know you when i was at the board [speaker not understood] and got to continue working with you on the board of supervisors. ~ board of education i want to say someone who was a youth organizer for many years, it's often hard to get young people at the table around policy discussions for numerous reasons. a, we a policy makers are not aware of the needs of our young people. and b, it's really hard to get young people into city hall and understand often our very complicated processes, legislation, and understand the best way to give input. but the balance of figuring out just how to empower young people but also guide and mentor and train young people is a delicate balance to have. but it's great it see how beautifully you do that over the last three years. and both how young people respect and love you, also how

you are able to raise young leaders here in the city of san francisco. and your work will continue on. that's one of the best parts of working with young people is that you get to watch them continue to grow after you. and they will continue to do great things for the city. and you'll know that you played a small part in either opening a door or showcasing a side of the city that they haven't seen before or just showcasing an opportunity to make a difference or change for their neighborhood or community. and, so, i'm really sad today that you are leaving our youth commission, but i'm also really excited to work with you in your new capacity at san francisco rising. so, i am going to read this proclamation. i know a number of our colleagues will want to say some words for you. so, for our proclamation to mario, whereas mario rubiano yudidio have served the young people in san francisco 3-1/2 years and last two years the san francisco youth commission, and whereas in his commitment

to aiding the youth commission and fulfilling the duties as per charter section 4.124, by identifying and proposing solutions to meet the unmet needs of all the youth of san francisco has been exemplary. and whereas he has prioritized the charge and efficacy of the commission resulting in the increased presence, prestige, and visibility of the commission's work in both city hall and within the wider community. and whereas during mario's tenure beginning in july 2009, the full youth commission has met a total of 78 times. in addition to the consistent biweekly meetings, and one executive committee [speaker not understood]. and whereas a leadership as director of the youth commission has resulted in a historic inaugural joint meeting of the youth and police commission in march 2012, positive movement on juvenile justice issues, vis-a-vis advocating for full youth access to the juvenile hall recreation yard, incredible

success on the free muni for youth campaign. and whereas on account of his infectious positivity up beat character and respected mentor ship and leadership on the youth commission, beyond providing police, budgetary and parliamenteryian assistance, and whereas the youth of san francisco and the staff of the city and county of san francisco will miss your strong work ethic, infocusive charisma, relentless advocacy and deep commitment to social justice and impact for policy. now therefore be it resolved that the san francisco board of supervisors does here by commend and honor our friend and colleague, mario for his exceptional contribution to the youth commission and to the city and county of san francisco. ~ and this has been signed by our entire board. and like i said, i have been incredibly impressed by the way and talent and scope you have but also your incredible dedication and passion for young people but also on behalf of our communities, to.

so, thank you. >> thank you, supervisor. i know there are actually many of us that want to say a few words, mario. and i will continue the conversation. for me, and i think for all of us, this is a bitter/sweet day. while we know you're going to provide tremendous leadership at sf rising, i for one would prefer that you continued working with us here in the city and county in the role you've done a tremendous job in. i think oftentimes we take teachers and mentors, those role models for young people without necessarily seeing the long-term impact they have. my guess is in a few short years the generations of young people that you have trained, that you have mentored, that you have taught how to lead, are going to be having an incredible impact on our city. they already are on the issues that supervisor kim has already discussed. and this really is a testament to your work, to your

inspiration, to the times that you spent round the clock making sure that our future is ready to lead. and i cannot thank you enough. i know many of our colleagues, we're really going to miss you, but we will continue to work with you as you leave this building, but i have a feeling you'll be visiting us early and often. so, thank you. supervisor avalos. >> thank you, president chiu. i'm actually kind of excited that you're going to san francisco rising because i've been very, very impressed with the work you've done at the youth commission and you've really brought an empowerment model to the youth commission that we haven't hads as strong before until you came here. and i think it's really -- and i've seen youth commissions since 1996 and yours, the body the past few years here has been remarkable. you actually brought a lot of people together to really

analyze issues, to explore, you know, how they can make a difference and look at how we can prevent things we can do in terms of solutions at the board of supervisors and other city departments. and i think that's a really remarkable that you have actually been able to get the young people to do that as well. it's their voices that you put forward. you have also yourself have been pretty relentless advocate as well. i'd be walking down the hallway and suddenly you'd be at my side telling me things i should know about and then that would last about 30 seconds. [speaker not understood] afterwards, all these things i need to work on and be aware of and i just want to thank you for keeping me aware and making sure young people's voices are prioritized here in san francisco. i also think it's important that you have to recognize that you have a lot of work outside the youth commission you work on. you've been instrumental in helping to set up mission prep school in the excelsior district and have brought me into the work of the school as well. so, i want to thank you for that. prior to any of this and people don't know about is that you

were actually a child actor. [laughter] >> and have been actually in many films. i wish i had it set up before hand [speaker not understood], but you were actually cute when you were a kid. you were in a disney film. you also were in jim cramer of the giant peach or [speaker not understood] robin williams movie. i haven't seen it yet. i'm going to make sure i see them later on today. congratulations on everything you've done. i'm super proud of your work and i look forward to what you do at sf rising. i know the empowerment model you have brought to the youth commission will be exceptional in this new setting and look forward to working with you. >> thank you for el us that, supervisor avalos. i have the pictures of mario as a young child actor on my computer right now. [laughter] ~ >> supervisor campos. >> yeah, mario, i don't know if i should be asking for your autograph or if i should

commenting on your accomplishments. not many people can say, by the way, that they work under francis [speaker not understood], so that's pretty, pretty impressive. you know, i don't want to repeat what's been said. i simply want to say for my own personal experience, i've had the opportunity to work with many, many city staffers and i just think that you are an incredible individual and you are really top notch in term of how you have performed your duties. for me specifically in my office, working with the youth commission has been just such a full filling experience. and many of the policies that we have worked on, our policies where we worked so closely with you as a commission, some of those are issues that were brought to us by you and the commission. and there are so many examples where you have empowered youth

to believe in themselves and to really make a difference in the world, whether it's the undocumented youth policy where the youth commission was instrumental, to the free muni for youth program which just started a few days ago, to the historic first meeting between the youth commission and the police commission that for the first time in this chamber had police officers and young people talking to each other, listening to each other. you helped to make that happen. and, you know, i know that this is just the beginning, that there's a lot more that you will accomplish. and i look forward to seeing that because i know that the city is very lucky to have someone of your talent and dedication and passion living here and involved in san francisco. and i know this is not a good-bye, and i look forward to the next phase in your

brilliant career. >> supervisor wiener. >> thank you. well, mario, we're going to definitely miss you, although obviously you're not going to be going far. you know, the way i got to know you or we got to know each other, i think the most was through the free muni for youth debate and we were obviously on opposite sides of that debate. [speaker not understood]. we were obviously on opposite sides of that debate and that was difficult debate. and i know you were very, very passionate about the proposal and i had my own strong view. and the one thing that always struck me about you is that you, whatever the disagreement, you were always just so professional and kind and courteous and very persistent in pushing what you thought was

right. but just incredibly professional. i always really appreciated that. i'll tell you and this is i guess advice to a lot of different advocates that engaging with someone you disagree with in a professional and productive way is usually more effective than some of the other ways that people in this building sometimes engage when they have disagreements. and, so, i think it speaks volumes that your effectiveness and your passion as an advocate, but also you as a person. and, so, i also saw through my own appointee to the youth commission, a high school student, just saw how you mentored the members of the commission because some of them are quite young and really, need a lot of help and guidance and you were always there to provide that. that didn't go unnoticed. congratulations and best of luck in your new endeavor.

>> president chiu, i just wanted to add -- >> supervisor mar. >> -- a few points. mario goes way back with peter water born. aside from child acting i hear a lot of stories about you from your younger days as well, but they're really great stories about [laughter] >> -- in some ways an example about how you're going to be such a great person for sf rising. i know when we've had challenges with district 1, richmond district youth commissioners, you really mentored them and tried to support them but i also appreciated your approach to expressing at times concerns, but also being so supportive of the young people. i think you're a great community organizer because you understand that social change happens, not just from inside this building, but it really happens with one foot in and one foot out. and i think that you're going to continue that approach. and in organizing, you really

give information and education to young people, but also in understanding about how power operates in a building like this really supporting their leadership and stepping back when you need to, but also really promoting young people to speak for themselves and to empower themselves as well. as supervisor avalos and others said, i think you bring a sense of community organizing and movement building to whatever you do. and i'm going to miss you on the inside of this building, but it will be wonderful to work with you on the outside. but thank you so much for empowering so many young people. and i think for the youth and the families and the diverse communities that you'll be working with, good luck. and i hope to see you even more in the future. so, thank you, mario. >> thank you. >> supervisor yee. >> yes, thank you. mario, congratulations and best wishes in your next sort of period in your life. i have to say that through the years i received a lot of compliments about you. and i think the ultimate

compliments have been really from the youth commissioners themselves that i've run into through the years. and they give you the highest praise. and when they do that, i know you're doing something right. so, thank you very much for serving our city. >> and our final speaker for today, supervisor cohen. >> thank you very much, mario. i remember you were one of the first department heads that i met with when i first came to city hall. and i share a very special place in my heart about the youth commission. i was part of the mayor's youth forum which was a predecessor to the youth commission and realized the impact that you have on a daily basis on the young people's lives that are going to be the future leaders of san francisco. and you yourself are an amazing organizer and an amazing human being and i look forward to continuing to work with you. thank you. >> actually, mario, one more speaker, and that would be our good clerk. >> thank you, mr. president.

mr. yudidia, i want to four being part of my management team, specifically for the youth commission, the efforts that you coordinated have been triumphant whether it's been your management of the staff in the department, your hiring, your administration in the division, and the very successful high profile projects that you and the commission and your team have worked on. but your most important work, as you heard today, is your youth leadership development with the commissioners. you've actually changed lives. your investment in the commissioners, their morale, established your work as someone that they could count on. and you've gained a lot of friends here at the board. i'm sure we'll see you soon. i want to also thank you for mentoring fimi [speaker not understood] the next director for the youth commission. i know she's going to fill your boots as the boots on the ground successfully and you'll leave knowing that the foundation that you poured here at the youth commission will

move on, it will endure. want to congratulate you on your negate challenge. we will miss you, but thank you very much for all of your service to the city and city and county. thank you. ~ >> and with that, mario. >> wow, thank you so much. what an honor, supervisor kim, honorable members of the board. you know, under charter section 4.123, the youth commission is under the jurisdiction of the board and your 11 offices and that of the mayor are my boss, were my boss for three years and seven months, so, thank you. and i know that this is an honor that is not just an honor for me but it really is an honor for this curious institution, the youth commission which, you know, i would argue and i don't think it takes too much theoretical imagination to say that the youth commission is a constituentively and i would say democratic institution, right? what a radical notion that by

virtue of being 12 to 23 years old, not because of a professional degree, not because of professional experience, but by virtue of this fact, and the desire of the supervisor and the mayor, you can serve as a policy advisor. now, we also definitely do a lot of training, right, but we do tons of training. that is part of the -- pardon me -- the cement that i hope i poured at the youth commission, that strong knowledge of the budget, legislative, and the myriad executive processes really can, with experiencial intelligence, lead to some positive policy change and hopefully some personal transformational change, too. you know, charter section 4.124 charges advising youth on unmet need, where i'm going san francisco [speaker not understood] alliance, [speaker not understood], they work with low-income communities of color. unmet needs will be front and center all day every day.

and, so, to the city staff with whom i worked, to you and all of your offices, to the most incredible mentor in clerk of the board angela i could have hoped for, to my parents who are here, a social worker and a man with a degree in public health, to peter lyle born, my next door neighbor growing up who got me this job straight up, to the youth commissioners and my colleagues. so, president of the youth commission mia shackle ford is here. mia, the current director [speaker not understood] is here. none of what you spoke so willingly about would have happened without this young people and without my colleagues. thanks. (applause)

>> thank you, mario yudidia. (applause) >> our final hep commendation of the day will be provided by

district 9, supervisor david campos. >> thank you. thank you very much, mr. president. wow, i have to say that it's been a pretty impressive group of honorees today. and to continue in that tradition, it is my great honor to call upon charles galt man to come up. and if i can also ask his family and as well as the executive director of the office of citizens complaints to please come forward. ~ it is truly, truly remarkable to see some incredible people who are about to retire from the city. we saw david chan and now charles galt man. i had the honor to first get to know mr. gault man when i was on the san francisco police commission. ~ and had an opportunity to work with him during the time that

he was serving, and serves to this day, as the chief investigator for the office of citizens he complaints. and before i ask mr. goldman to speak, i do want to also give the executive director at occ an opportunity to say a few words. ~ but let me tell you a little bit about charles and the kind of amazing person that he has been and why we're so lucky that we have had him serving the city at occ. charles attended local public schools, aptos middle kayo and mar borrow heights school where he graduatesed in 1966. in 1969 he what drafted into the u.s. army, trained as military police as a dog handler. and after serving in vietnam for 11 months he was honorably discharged and returned to san francisco in 1971. he attended san francisco state where he majored in journalism and government with the aspiration of becoming a lawyer.

and from 1972 to 1974 charles was a dog trainer working with visually impaired persons as guide dogs for the blind. so, you really have had many interesting careers. from 1975 through 1983 he worked with the california department of veterans affairs and the veterans administration as an advocate for veterans that received other than honorable discharge. he also represented combat veterans suffering from ptsd. from 1988 through the present, charles gault man has serve the city and county of san francisco as a dedicated employee of the office of citizen complaints. ~ he has risen at that office from a line investigator to a senior investigator to now retiring as the chief investigator for the office of citizen complaints, a position that he has held for eight years. i can tell you this, that charles is one of the key

people that has made civility and oversight in our police department here in san francisco. he is recognized nationally and internationally as a subject matter oversight in the field of law enforcement. he has been the principal trainer of civilian oversight and accountability of law enforcement at the san francisco police department training academy for the last 14 years. he has been the primary responder for the office of citizen complaints to officer involved shootings and critical incidents within the city and county of san francisco. in other words, the most difficult cases involveding the occ go to the best person you have and that's charles. for 35 years charles has been married to his colleague sweetheart kathleen king. he and kathleen have raised two children, alex and wade king gault man both of whom are college graduates. alexis holds a master's degree and wade has a bachelor's

degree in psychology. before i turn it over to you, charles, i want to give joyce dixon the executive director of office of citizen complaints an opportunity to say a few words. ~ dix >> thank you very much, supervisor campos, and members of the board of supervisors. well, supervisor campos, you have said so much about chief investigator charles gall man who has served the office of citizen complaints ~ tirelessly. and when i think of words to describe charles gall man, i think of integrity, objectivity, and a commitment to get the job done. as you've pointed out in charles gall man's biography, his works has covered the gamut. he has gotten up in the middle of the night many times to respond to officer-involved shooting, often beating many

members of the san francisco police department to the scene of these critical incidents. and with that in mind, i'd also like to thank cathy, charles' partner of so many years, who has supported charles in his tireless commitment to follow the evidence, to get to the truth of the matter. and charles's objectivity was really reflected in the number of people from the san francisco police department and the command staff who attended charles' retirement party last week. and when they spoke about charles, and even though some time the occ is thought of as that other department where there could be conflicts between the police department and our office, the members of the command staff said that chief investigator gall man always operated with integrity.

and, so, i'm taking this opportunity again to publicly thank charles for his commitment to the goal, to the mission of the office of citizen complaint to promptly, impartially, and fairly investigate civilian complaints of police misconduct. thank you. (applause) >> before i turn it over to mr. gall man, i also want to recognize our chief of police. and again, it's a testament to mr. gall man as he's about to retire, we have our chief and deputy chief present. >> we couldn't leave because it's charles. so, 15 years, we've been together many, many nights. i, too, want to thank his wife for allowing him to be the investigator that he's been. he is so well regarded by all

the officers. and these are the officers that have -- that are being investigated by him. so, i mean, classy, fair, objective, getting to the truth of the matter as director hix said was what he was always about. and that's all a police officer ever asks for, is just -- we just want somebody to be fair. and charles has always been that guy. so, we will be forever grateful. we hope you can find somebody close because there's nobody that's going to be like this. we wish you all the best and thank you for 15 years of being fair. >> thank you, chief. (applause) >> mr. gall man, it is our honor to have you in this chamber. the floor is yours. >> david, i'm truly humbled by the kind words that you've said, director said, and chief has said. i just tried to be the best person i can be. i have respect for the great citizens of this city and

county. you've allowed me to raise my children and for my wife and i to have a relatively good life. i'm a bernal heights resident. that's where i see david sometimes at safeway. folks, i thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to serve you. and, chief, i wish you the best. god bless the citizens of the city and county of san francisco, san francisco police department, and those folks who serve to protect and defend us in our military. thank you so much. (applause)