by Ross Nugent, BR2011 People are often viewed as the most important resource that any organization has. This is true, especially as you climb the levels of an organization. It’s becoming more commonplace for businesses to provide workforce development opportunities. It makes sense: employees remain with the company for long enough to qualify for furtherRead… Read more »
by Danielle Fitts (SF2011) One morning in late May, I stepped off the bus in the Civic Center neighborhood in San Francisco and noticed that rainbow flags were flying from every street lamp. For those of you who are not familiar, the rainbow flag is a symbol of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) prideRead… Read more »
by Luke Fuller (SF2011) I visited Sacramento four months ago with my Fellowship cohort to meet with policy makers and political specialists, and to ask some uncomfortable questions about the state of the State. A $26B budget deficit, political gridlock, a frumpy economy, a mess of jurisdictional mishaps and dozens of uncoordinated populist initiatives seeminglyRead… Read more »
by Megan Degeneffe, SF2011 Brooke Budner and Caitlyn Galloway are the sort of people who are important to making government work. Brooke and Caitlyn run Little City Gardens, a for-profit experiment to find out if growing food in the city can be profitable. The problem came when Little City Gardens attempted to expand and discoveredRead… Read more »
This post is part 2 of a 3-part series by recently-graduated SF2011 Fellow Marielle Earwood, reflecting on her Fellowship year. For my Fellowship year (2010-2011), the Civic Leadership Development Program (CLDP) encompassed City Hall Fellows’ learning objectives, educational talks, hand-on tours, and reflection debriefs. Through the CLDP, my cohort got exposure to multiple layers ofRead… Read more »
by Whitney Ramos, SF2011 There is an email in my inbox with the subject “CPUC GHG OIR PHC.” Within the context of my office at the SFPUC (that’s the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) I know that the email is about the California Public Utilities Commission’s Greenhouse Gas Order to Institute a Rulemaking, Pre-hearing Conference.Read… Read more »
by Megan Degeneffe, SF2011 Soon after starting work at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) I noticed something strange. I work in the Water Conservation Section, a group dedicated to helping San Francisco customers reduce their water use. The SFPUC, however, is funded by selling water to ratepayers. The paradox is clear- I workRead… Read more »
by Meg Degeneffe, SF2011 Last week I felt like I made a difference in my city. Last week the Fellows presented on our final project: analyzing recidivism in San Francisco. Recidivism is a huge challenge facing cities, with most studies showing 50% to 80% of those released from custody re-offend. Unfortunately, a comprehensive analysis ofRead… Read more »
by Dani Fitts San Francisco Fellow ’11 In my time here at San Francisco, the Board of Supervisors has held two hearings entitled “Report of Assessment Costs for Blighted Properties”. During these hearings property owners are given the opportunity to object to fines levied against them for failing to remove blight from their properties. IRead… Read more »
by Whitney Ramos, SF2011 When I came across an article about the first University of San Francisco McCarthy Center Bay Area Survey, I immediately found the full report on the USF website. The trigger for my interest was a discussion of how much trust Bay Area residents have for the people who run their cities.Read… Read more »