and so the importance of young women seeing what it takes to be a firefighter, seeing themselves when they look at me. it really brings myself a lot of pride and joy in this work. good morning everyone. i'm cheryl chambers, deputy of external affairs for caltrans and i'm here to welcome you to today's event. happy to be many my hometown and looking forward to our program. starting off today, i want to introduce our district director of caltrans bay area ms. deena

eltuansi. >> thank you. i'm caltrans bay area district director. and i can't tell you how thrilled i am to be here today. it's really a special day for us. before i start anything, i would like to congratulate the city of san francisco, sfmta yerba buena conservency for the south of market transit project. congratulations. governor gavin newsome's clean california initiative is part of the california comeback plan to remove litter and to engage communities in butte if i indication efforts through job creation and education. clean california is truly a

statewide effort and one third of the funding that's coming to us is coming to cities, counties, tribal authorities, and transit agencies to clean and provide beautification. san francisco is a beautiful city. often people will remark that homes in san francisco are built right next to each other. what people don't see from street view are the extensive backyards, gardens, and patios. as here, there are beautiful gardens and so much to enjoy beyond what you see from the streets. this project will serve to highlight and restore the yerba buena gardens and invite the public to all the site has to offer. the children's human, i see them coming out here parts of

the celebration, thank you for being here and this playground and more. the bay hills are beautified with plants and through an artist imagination to follow and to invite residents, visitors, and transit riders emerging from the new transit station into this space to enjoy the yerba buena gardens. we look forward to watching this project transform the site into a cleaner, more attractive and inviting place that we can all be very proud of. with that said, please help me welcome ms. carmen chiu our city administrator. [ applause ] >> first off, i want to thank the district director for being here. deena, it's an honor to have you here and welcome you to san

francisco. we truly appreciate the partnership you are bringing to this project. and, of course, to all the community members and our partners for helping to make the masconi center and this a wonderful place to be. when we think about a project like this, we know that the big things we try to accomplish are things we can accomplish together. i want to thank the city and county of san francisco for really coming together to recognize the importance of investing in a place like muskonee expanding the for the many conventions that will come to san francisco. for us, it's more than just a convention center. we know that the convention center is linked to economic growth and to our recovery in

san francisco. during covid, we saw a pretty unprecedented situation where restaurants closed down. many of our entertainment venues had to go dark and where conventions completely tops happening and the impact on that was devastating not just in san francisco but across the world. and as we come back now, we begin to really make sure that we make the investments for people to know that when they come to san francisco, when they come and visit our moscone center, it's not just the beautiful and wonderful staff at moscone center. it's not just the beautiful center they can be staying at, but when they step right outside into our gardens here, they see why we love san francisco so much. that we care about the outside, the spaces where people gather, where they recreate, where they spend time with their friends and their families, where they welcome guests from across the bay or around the world to

enjoy the beautiful city we have here. and we know that when we make investments like this, it's not just about the people who come to visit, but it's also about all the people who live around here. there have been communities, many residents, children, who live right around this neighborhood who deserve more than concrete. who deserve spaces to be and to breathe and to relax and be outside. so i, again, want to thank all of the community partners who have made this investment, this project possible. we look forward to coming back when the project is completely done to do a big ribbon cutting. and i know the mayor herself is very disappointed she couldn't be here today. i can't tell you how many times the mayor has talked to me about the moscone center and the importance of investing in it and the people in this area so i want to thank you and i look forward to our continued the partnership. and now i want to bring up

something we're very close to in the city. scott is the executive director of the yerba buena conservancy but also helps us when we were building this new convention center because he knew exactly what it meant to invest in facilities like this. so thank you, scott. and please, come on up. [ applause ] >> thank you, carmen. i'm the executive director for the yerba buena gardens. we're glad to be here with you all. i want you to imagine 30 years ago, lots of parking lots, s.r.o. hotels. the redevelopment agency in the city went through an amazing time and what happened was an

unbelievable gardens that opened in 1993 with the convention center and the surrounding development. it was amazing, it was beautiful. and it really has been such a symbol of hope and create 50 and renewal for this area. and the neighborhood built up around it since that time period. this grant that we're receiving today from clean california and the state is an unbelievable positive step in the next direction for this area and we're so proud of it on behalf of the city and the community and really it will revitalize us even further. as we steward public spaces, this is a remarkable public space, but it takes time and investment. this project's going to beautify the outside of our facilities and our gardens. it's going to enhance cleaning throughout the neighborhood on our key transit corners all the way from market street all the way to the highway on 3rd and 4th street and mission street and we're really excited about that.

we're going to add new public art that will be over on facing the subway. a large mural on the expansive wall that will be designed through the community process with the amazing artists and then murals guiding you into the public gardens and really welcoming you. i love the yellow brick road concept that was mentioned earlier. so all this will be really inspirational. the gardens will sore, the gardens will grow, and the community will bloom through this. as we've all talked about, this project really required an unbelievable community input and community process. i want to especially thank sfmta for their support of us as a community and jeff tumlin, joel greenberg who really guided us and supported us through this process as a community. i'd also like to thank the city, our team at the city who's on our board and guiding

us so well and we truly appreciate all their support, their leadership, their guidance. i'd also like to thank the yerba buena community benefit district who's a key partner in this process. acknowledge cathy maupin and entire team that cleans and beautifies the neighborhood around us. last and certainly not least and the relationship we have and the convention and to recognize this really means a lot. so thank you. and more importantly, we're kind of excited. we want to get started. i think that's important to

know. the goal for the project is we'll finalize planning this spring. we've got all the plans done. we've worked with an amazing architecture firm. we will bid and start construction this summer on the landscaping. the art process, we'll do a call for entries this summer and the art will be revealed in the january time period just in time for you to get off the subway and see this amazing art and this amazing site. couple other things. it's spring. i think we can all feel it. it's beautiful here. the gardens are blooming. there's flowers everywhere. i think we're really delighted because what we have happening in the gardens today sort of reflects this project and reflects what's going to happen. there's amazing lines outside our restaurants. there's free music and dance festival with the yerba buena festival that's happening. i saw an amazing group of kids going into the bowling alley

today. they were so excited. we had the children's creativity museum here with a beautiful x.o.x.o. exhibit about beauty and connection. the carousel right here. so amazing amenities plus our museum and the cultural centers. the gardens and this neighborhood are really spectacular. it is all renewal. it is a time for renewal and we're excited about that. downtown is blooming and please join us. i think that is all we want to say to you today on the high level. please enjoy the gardens. our goal is to finish these comments and if you would like to join us, we're going to walk down 3rd street. see the subway and where the art will be and envision the plantings. thank you, caltrans and everybody and the city and everybody involved. [ applause ]

>> the hon. london breed: all right. hello, everyone. i'm san francisco mayor london breed, and i am extremely excited to swear in jose

fuentes almanza. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: i've got to say, it always brings me so much pride and joy when i get to swear in san francisco natives, and i definitely don't hold it against you that you went to balboa high school, the second best high school in san francisco, right behind galileo. that's right, state champs. i was really proud of the balboa football team who became the state champions. we had a great celebration here in san francisco, and i'm always so proud of our young people. as a kid who grew up in san francisco in those years, back in the day, we remember many of

the challenges that existed in san francisco, but we also know that san francisco was a place of opportunity, and balboa high school was that place of opportunity for jose, who was able to be an apprentice, who was able to move up in the ranks and be a part of an incredible union, local 6, the electricians, who do a lot of wonderful work for san francisco, and who have been really great in providing opportunities for city build. we know it's a part of the larger building trades family here, so it's great to see rudy gonzales here, and tom mazzola. this seat has traditionally been a labor seat, one in which the person who is a part of labor, it's usually somebody very prestigious, and the

mazzolas, they don't necessarily do a change in leadership very lightly when it comes to this seat, so the fact that they dug deep, and they found someone that they could pass the torch to must mean that you are a very significant person in the labor world, and we are very proud and excited to have you join. i wanted to take this opportunity, we have so many partners and labor leaders here and members of our airport commission. i'm not sure -- oh, ivar made it, i see. ivar, the airport director as well as jane natoli and malcom young, and also thank you to myrna melgar of our board of supervisors. thank you so much, as well as thank you to our labor leaders.

mr. mazzola, sr. has been a labor leader in this area for decades. he paid a lot of attention to not just the work that needed to be done, but all the major projects and construction going during this time at the airport, he made sure that small businesses and people who were part of the fabric of san francisco had opportunities, always asking the right questions, always paying attention to everything and all the details. and i know, based on your history, based on your work, and based on your love of san francisco that you're going to do an extraordinary job, so we're looking forward to seeing you serve. clearly, you have a tremendous amount of support. everyone is asking to be on this commission, by the way, but it's not just about who i want to appoint, it's about

what's in the best interests of the city, and more importantly, this is just -- the tremendous amount of support from labor demonstrates that you are clearly the right person, but i also take a lot of pride in the fact that you are not only a native san franciscan but the first latina to be appointed to this body -- [applause] >> the hon. london breed: -- which has been long overdue, so it's time. come on up, jose. let me get you sworn in. all right. please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, please state your name, do solemnly swear to 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 am about to enter, and during such time as i serve as commissioner for the airport commission of the city and county of san francisco. congratulations. [applause] >> the hon. london breed:

here's your official city pin. wear it right next to your -- how did they do this before i even had a chance. wasn't even sworn yet. >> i was told this is unofficial. >> the hon. london breed: and look how big that is. this is the whole world can see. it's, like, i'm a commissioner, but i've got class. there's your commission pin and your pin from me. wear it with pride. all right. commissioner, let's hear a few words. [applause] >> well, clearly, as you can see, this is not what i normally do. thank you for the confidence in me. appreciate that. look forward to being part of a great team and being a -- being able to help any which way i can to make this the world's

best airport and increasing the capacity. there was so much more in my head before i got up here. and most, importantly, my wife, janet, my son, antonio, all my friends, colleagues, and everybody out here. thank you very much. >> the hon. london breed: let's get you signed in. all right. there we go. all right. it's official.

[applause]

hi, sandy, how are you? >> hi, fine, thank you.

how are you? >> good. i want to ask you what inspired you to be a paramedic? >> that's a good question. you know, i wanted to go into med school and after i found out how much time it took and all of that, i decided that that was going to be a little too much schooling, but i still wanted to figure out a way that i could provide medical care and doing that as an emt as well as a paramedic was a way to do that. >> can you give me a break down of a typical day for you? >> i come to work and sit at my desk and then i respond to e-mails and try to figure out what are some of the issues we need to address. can we hire more people. what kinds of policies we want to try to create that will help us do our job as ems. >> what does it take to be a female paramedic? >> you know, it takes quite a bit of schooling, but also required somebody who's empathetic. it can be a very stressful job and so we want people to be able to hand that on a

day-to-day basis. >> so what's your greatest satisfaction in your job? >> trying to make sure that the work that we provide and the services that we provide to the community is the best that we can in ems so that when we go out to see you if you call us for an emergency, that we'll be able to treat you in the best way possible and that you get the care as quickly and as effectively as possible. >> why is it important for young girls, women of color to see women in these roles? >> i think it really is important for us to be able to get into these roles because we are effective, we are able to reach out to the community. we are able to do the job in a very effective manner and to be able to relate to the community and be able to do that is one of the best things that we can do. and people of color and as women of color, you know, we are in a great position to be able to do that.

well, happy women's history month to you all. i'm kimberly ellis. i'm the director for the san francisco department on the status of women. and i have the incredible honor of not just working for a department that's dedicated to women, girls, and nonbinary, but a city and county that's committed to uplifting women, girls, and nonbinary. but the best mayor in the country who is committed to supporting women, girls, and