Mayor Gavin Newsom Announces New Appointments

Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today the appointment of the following individuals to city boards and commissions:

Fire Commission

Victor Markras is currently President of Markras Real Estate, a corporation that provides professional real estate services in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Mr. Markras has also led a distinguished career in public service. He has served as a San Francisco Public Utilities Commissioner, the Police Commissioner and the Application Review Association. He was also President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors and a member of the Board of Appeals. Mr. Markras is currently a member of the Board of Directors the California International Relations Foundation, the Modern Greek Studies Foundation at San Francisco State University, and the Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service.

Recreation & Parks Commission

For over a decade, David E. Lee has served as Executive Director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee (CAVEC), a non-profit civic education and research organization dedicated to increasing Asian American political representation. David serves on the Board of Directors at San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR) and Pacific News Service. He is board member of KQED, a founding member of New California Media a consortium of over 400 ethnic news media organizations, and a member of Asian Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. His former Board affiliations include Kids Voting and the League of Women Voters. David earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College in New York and a Masters in Political Science from San Francisco State University. David is a participant of Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives on Nonprofit Management.

Southeast Facility

Dr. Harrison Parker is a San Francisco dentist who received his D.D.S. from Howard University. Dr. Parker is active in the local community, where he currently serves as a Board Member for the Bayview Community Health Plan and the Community Advisory group of Southeast Facility Commission. He has served as a Health Commissioner for the Department of Public Health and a Board Member of the In Home Supportive Services. Dr. Parker has led a distinguished military career; he was a 1st Lieutenant for the U.S. Army, the California National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve Officer. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University, where he graduated with honors.

Western Addition Citizen Advisory Council

Linda T. Jofuku currently serves as Executive Director of the Japantown Taskforce in San Francisco. She has served previously as the Executive Director of the Yu-Ai Kai Japanese American Community Senior Service and as a Senior Representative to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21. Linda is a founding member of the following organizations: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Blue Collar Asian Women, Coalition of United Trades Women and National Coalition for an Accurate Count of Asian and Pacific Americans. She has served on the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women, Economic and Employment Committee from 1991 to 1999. Linda received her Bachelors of Arts in Social Science with emphasis in Environmental Studies and Asian American Studies from San Jose State University.

Sandy Mori currently serves as the Development Director for Kimochi, Inc where she has served in various capacities including: Program Director, Director of Kimochi Home and Project Coordinator for Kimochi Home. She served as the Executive Secretary to the San Francisco Health Commission from 1987 to 2001. She currently is Chair of the Japantown Task Force, President of the Glide Housing Board of Directors and sits on the Mayor’s Long-Term Coordination Council. Former Governor Pete Wilson appointed her as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging in 1995. Ms. Mori was appointed by Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Clinton Administration, as a Member of the US-Japan Joint Commission on Aging. She has also served on the Women’s Advisory Council to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in 1994.