of the commission mark buell. and when making a decision about who to appoint to the rec and park commission, it's really important to make sure that there are people who have a vast level of experience, but also a sincere love for the parks of san francisco. i grew up here as you all know and i remember a time when our parks were not in the best shape and what we're seeing now i believe is really a renaissance of san francisco parks because i've gone to a number of our parks especially during this pandemic and i've got to say they are very beautiful and in amazing shape and people are using them and enjoying them like never

before. and that is definitely, of course, because of phil's leadership, but also because of the commissioners and the decisions that they make and being strategic about when we bring a parks bond to the people of san francisco and the people of san francisco say yes every single time because we love our parks and we want everyone to have a wonderful experience. look at how beautiful this area here is at lincoln park and this is just one example of the work that this commission does to protect and to preserve the beautiful parks for the kids, for the dogs, for our seniors, for someone who just wants to sit down and hang out and watch a movie. tonight, i'm going to be at which park am i going to? washington square. i'm going to washington square. they're showing 'princess diaries' at washington square.

bring your blanket and bring your jacket too because you know it gets cold at night in san francisco. today, we're swearing in two amazing people and i'll start with larry griffin who as many of you know because he has been actively engaged in city government working for the office of labor standards, but he's also actively engaged with labor and working to make sure that the city is held accountable to support its workers, that we do all we can to provide equity and fairness and his work as a former board member of the booker t. washington community center was really incredible. this was a center that when i first got my job under the mayor's youth employment training program we went to this center booker t. washington which we hung out here and there depending on if there were cute boys there that

day. but we went there for our orientation and there was always, i mean, we were always welcomed there and what it's been transformed to in term officer this $35 million facility with 50 units of housing with transitional age youth and homelessness and others, this was a testament of his leadership as president of the board for six years. he is a community person. he cares about seeing great things happen for san francisco and, you know, he's a great just genuine, good human being and i have always appreciated not only his advice in council, but also he would always say, mayor, you know we've got to do more to support this or board to support that. it's always something to help someone else and that's why i know he'll be a valuable member of this board. he represents labor. he represents the city. he represents his love for san francisco and the community and

i know he'll do a great job for rec and park. so thank you so much, larry, for your commitment and your work. and technically he's retired so i figured he had some extra time on his hands to get back to the city in another way. so thank you so much. and vanita louie we know has been an incredible involved person in san francisco in so many different aspects. it's so interesting because vanita is involved with the chinatown rotary club and you know all the work they do to support businesses, to give out scholarships and even recently the mask and the ppe that you provided, donated to c.y.c. and other organizations. that has been incredible. i don't know if you noticed, but vanita is always involved with great organizations and one of my favorite is gung moon

and i know one of your dogs did a photo shoot at this park. and gung moon recognized your work. she's a dog mom. i'm a plant mom. and i'm proud of that. she has been a big supporter of our parks and advocate of open space and play space for dogs in san francisco, but also an advocate for doing great things for people and making san francisco a better place. as a small business owner, she knows the challenges of what small businesses deal with in san francisco, but she always has a moment when anyone usuallies and her to get involved in something as long as it's a good cause, she will dedicate her time and be very involved in something that's going to be important and lead to great results for peoples' lives.

and so she'll be a great addition to the rec and park commission, amazing individuals who i'm grateful and proud of their work in san francisco. and now with that before we hear from the future commissioners, i'm going to swear them in and make them real commissioners and then you will hear from them as commissioners. so with that, come on up. come on up. you're the next contestant of 'the price is right'. anybody watch that? i did. i see we have a former mayor in the crowd. thank you very much mayor frank jordan for being with us today. and our assessor recorder joaquin torres. with that, please raise your

right hand and repeat after me. i, state your name, do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of california against all enemies foreign and domestic that i bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which i'm about to enter and during such time as i

serve as commissioner for the recreation and park consumption of the city and county of san francisco. [ applause ] >> i don't know about other mayors, but i've created a city sealed pen with my signature on them so when i swear you in, this talks about the history of our city and the significance of public service and so i wanted to present our new commissioners. i see phil already gave one of those rec and park, those big huge rec and park pens, but mine's a little petite and classy and sophisticated and so

i'm going to give my -- you can put these on if you want or wear them whenever but make sure you wear them with pride. for the city and county of san francisco. [ applause ] >> so right now we're going to hear from your newly sworn in commissioners and so i'm going to start with you, commissioner griffin. [ applause ] >> hello everybody. i wanted to thank the mayor for showing her trust in me to appoint me to this position. one of the reasons i'm really looking forward to this is as a native san franciscan, i grew up in these parks. i knew a lot of the parts of these parks that park and rec doesn't know about, but, no. >> that's why we brought the sheriff. >> yeah. it's an honor to have the

mayor's trust to be put in this position. our parks are i think world class if not the best in the world. i was amazed to find out there were 230 of them so that blew me away. one of the things i just wanted to let you folks though is i've always looked at the parks especially going through this last bout with covid as a great equalizer because it's where everybody goes. the rich, the poor, even the homeless, but it's a place for everybody to recreate. and our folk that is are working class or maybe struggling folks, they don't have an suv that they can pack the kids into and take them away for a weekend to the weekend home. they're going to the park that's within 10 minutes of every house of the city. so i'm looking forward to it.

i'm looking forward to serving with these amazing members of the board. i know several of them and i look forward to working with them along with my new partner here. so again, mayor, thank you for entrusting us with these positions. [ applause ] >> i just wanted to thank everybody for coming out to the 17th hole. the number 17 is my favorite number of all numbers. everybody knows, my e-mail has the number 17 in it. a lot of my passwords have 17 in it. it's really kind of crazy because 7:00 p.m. last night we found out the location was moved to here and mayor breed, thank you for appointing us and giving us the chance to serve the city that we live and love. what can you say more about your parks and open space and how we must protect these gems

of jewels for now and for the future for families and for all our community, our residents, and our seniors and everyone who wanted our parks and i want to thank the commissioners that i will and my colleagues, our colleagues, larry, that we will get to know. thank you phil ginsburg. thank you mayor frank jordan for coming. i want to thank all the supporters in the chinatown community for supporting me in this appointment. the former commissioner, allen lo, we wore some pretty big shoes so i'm going to try to put my small feet in his shoes and continue the work that he's done. there are a lot of parks that are earmarked for renovation that are important to our a.p.i. community and a lot of you are here, so i want to thank you. and thank you everyone and i have to thank my other half, my

husband austin louie, he makes me whole. and london is right. i'm a dog person, she's a plant person. and moo moo is here. she's a therapy dog. i want to thank everybody for your time. it's getting hot and i want to thank our beloved mayor london breed. >> all right. now time for the welcoming committee. i'm going to ask the president of the rec and park commission, president buell to come up and say a few words. >> welcome everybody to the 17th hole. i'm glad that's a lucky number. it doesn't work for me at golf, but that's all right. i just want to be very brief and say how lucky we are to have the parks we have, but how

lucky we are to have these two new commissioners. i've known larry a long time and i'm looking forward to getting to know our new commissioner and i just say welcome everybody enjoy it and know that those 230 parks, larry, are now in your hands and they'll only get better. thank you. [ applause ] >> and, i'd also like to ask phil ginsburg, the general manager to come up and say a few words as well. [ applause ] >> thank you, mayor. it's an honor to be in the presence of so many bosses today. i have my two newest bosses that join four other bosses. then we've got the big boss and the most important bosses are all of you. and it's your voices that really shape our park system and make sure that we are living up to commissioner

griffin's ideals of parks being a place where we are all equal and equally welcome and that's what we strive to do and it is just an honor to welcome some new blood and some new perspectives and some new guidance which is always helpful because as the mayor likes to remind me, i'm on a learning journey. and so every day we learn something new about how to steward this incredible park system. thank you. >> all right. we're going to get to signing and make it official.

a lot of city paper work. [ laughter ] >> mayor jordan, you remember all this paper work. >> as long as somebody doesn't try to slip in my checkbook. [ laughter ] >> all right. this is all your stuff, vanita. come over here and sign. you do all the yellow while i sign all this other stuff. also we just [inaudible] our house. [ laughter ]

. >> okay. larry, you're next. >> no more property tax for the rest of your life. >> and you can keep the pen. okay. it's official.

almost done. [ applause ] >> okay. and we're going to take some pictures and then you guys are going to -- well, at least some of you are going to have to get back to work. rudy's like do i have to get

back to work? no. there's plenty of bosses here. so you're good. all right. thank you all so much. thank you. [ applause ] francisco. >> my name is fwlend hope i would say on at large-scale what all passionate about is peace in the world.

>> it never outdoor 0 me that note everyone will think that is a good i know to be a paefrt. >> one man said i'll upsetting the order of universe i want to do since a good idea not the order of universe but his offered of the universe but the ministry sgan in the room chairing sha harry and grew to be 5 we wanted to preach and teach and act god's love 40 years later i retired having been in the tenderloin most of that 7, 8, 9 some have god drew us into the someplace we became the network ministries for

homeless women escaping prostitution if the months period before i performed memorial services store produced women that were murdered on the streets of san francisco so i went back to the board and said we say to do something the number one be a safe place for them to live while he worked on changing 4 months later we were given the building in january of 1998 we opened it as a safe house for women escaping prostitution i've seen those counselors women find their strength and their beauty and their wisdom and come to be able to affirmative as the daughters of god and they accepted me and made me, be a part of the their lives. >> special things to the women

that offered me a chance safe house will forever be a part of the who i've become and you made that possible life didn't get any better than that. >> who've would know this look of this girl grown up in atlanta will be working with produced women in san francisco part of the system that has abused and expedited and obtain identified and degraded women for century around the world and still do at the embody the spirits of women that just know they deserve respect and intend to get it. >> i don't want to just so women younger women become a part of the the current system we need to change the system we don't need to go up the

ladder we need to change the corporations we need more women like that and they're out there. >> we get have to get to help them. >>