amelia ward. i am thankful to this woman who embraced me when i started my professional career in san francisco. glendower richardson, carol tatum, and so many of you are here in this audience and i am grateful for my contemporaries who are my sisters and rock. from supervisor malia cohen, karen roy, and lindon. i have found my place here and i have mentioned, i began my career here in 1996 with mayer brown. i realized then in my 20's that i needed to pursue higher education. and it helped the mayor said he would never give me a raise or promotion on till i went back to school. i enrolled in the university of san francisco law school. i got my j.d. and pass the bar. -- passed the gar. -- bar. [applause] san francisco has been my home. six years ago i was married here on the steps almost six years ago to this month. [applause] some are clapping, some are not. [laughter] it has been a fundamental time for my family and i having been nominated. by mayor ed lee and i am grateful to that community and