Myrna Melgar

Myrna Melgar (born March 17, 1968) is an American politician currently serving as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for the seventh district since January 8, 2021.[1] She is the first woman elected to represent district 7, the first Latina elected to the Board of Supervisors after the implementation of District elections in 2004, and the first Jewish Latina to serve in this position.[2]

Myrna Melgar
Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for the 7th District
Assumed office
January 8, 2021
Preceded byNorman Yee
Personal details
Born (1968-03-17) March 17, 1968
El Salvador
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)San Francisco, California
Alma materExcelsior College,
Columbia University
OccupationPolitician
WebsiteBoard of Supervisors District 7 website

Biography

Myrna Elizabeth Melgar is an American politician from San Francisco, currently representing District 7, which includes over 30 separate neighborhoods West of Twin Peaks and includes SF State University, SF City College's main campus, UCSF Parnassus, and the SF Zoo. Melgar was born in El Salvador. Her family fled the Salvadoran Civil War when she was 12, and settled in San Francisco. She attended San Francisco State University and has a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College and a master's degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

Myrna formerly worked as the executive director of the Jamestown Community Center, deputy director of the Mission Economic Development Agency, Director of Homeownership Programs at the Mayor's Office of Housing during the Newsom Administration, and served as President of the City Planning Commission and Vice President of the Building Inspection Commission. Melgar lives in the Ingleside Terraces neighborhood with her partner, Environmental Attorney Sean H. Donahue, and three daughters.

Melgar served as a legislative aid to Eric Mar.[3]

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Melgar was elected Supervisor for District 7 on November 3, 2020, with 18,561 total votes after ranked-choice allocations, garnering 53.1% of the vote.[4] She was sworn into office on January 8, 2021, replacing former Supervisor and President of the Board Norman Yee, who endorsed her as his successor.[5]

Melgar chairs the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the Board, and she also serves as Commissioner on the Bay Area Air Quality District, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District, and the First Five Commission.[6] In late 2021, Melgar co-sponsored legislation to require sick leave for nannies, cleaners, and gardeners. Melgar has been active on transportation issues, including the expansion of the "Free Muni for Youth" program to all youth.[7]

In 2021, Melgar was among the members of the Board of Supervisors who voted to block construction of a 495-unit apartment building (with 25% affordable housing) on the site of a valet parking lot. The controversial vote prompted an investigation of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by California state officials.[8][9]

In 2021, Melgar spoke out against the dominance of male colleagues at the Board of Supervisors.[10]

References
  1. "District 7 | Board of Supervisors". sfbos.org. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  2. Mirsky, Maya (2020-12-22). "SF Board of Supervisors welcomes first Jewish Latina, an immigrant from El Salvador". J. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  3. Knight, Heather (2012-03-29). "Friend of Mirkarimi's wife: family 'destroyed'". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  4. "Myrna Melgar". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  5. "Former Supervisor Yee - District 7 | Board of Supervisors".
  6. "Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District | Golden Gate". www.goldengate.org. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  7. "Youth Can Ride SF Muni for Free Starting Mid-August". KQED. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  8. October 29, Gil Duran •; November 11, 2021 1:30 am-Updated; Am, 2021 11:09 (2021-10-29). "'Absurdity': San Francisco leaders stall SOMA housing project to preserve parking lot". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2022-03-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. Knight, Heather (2021-10-30). "S.F.'s real housing crisis: Supervisors who took a wrecking ball to plans for 800 units". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  10. Knight, Heather (2021-03-24). "'No surprise': Data shows men on S.F. board of supes dominate discussions, interrupt more". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
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