SD Mayor Gloria brings diverse voices to city boards, commissions

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is keeping his commitment to increase equity and inclusion and bring more voices to the table at San Diego City Hall. At a July 22 news conference, Gloria highlighted the increase in the diversity of his appointments, particularly adding more women and people of color to city boards and commissions.

To date, 70% of Gloria’s appointments are people of color and 50% are women. Several of his appointees have made history on their boards or commissions as the first-ever to serve in their roles.

“The volunteers who make up San Diego’s boards and commissions play a critical role in helping local government better respond to the needs of its residents,” Gloria said in a news release. “Filling these key seats with constituents who come from an array of ages, backgrounds and ethnicities brings their lived experiences and expertise to the table. I encourage San Diegans who are interested in making their voices heard apply for the variety of vacant positions we have and help us make San Diego a better city for all of us.”

The city’s Office of Boards and Commissions was established in 2018 in response to a 2017 audit that revealed numerous expired terms and mass vacancies, which hampered the ability of boards and commissions to establish quorums to conduct business. Community members also criticized the lack of diversity amongst appointments.

Under Gloria’s administration, the office has successfully begun to diversify seats, implement necessary procedures that streamline the appointment process, made applying for a seat less cumbersome, and made progress on clearing appointment backlogs.

Among the new mayoral appointees is Carmel Valley’s Louie Nguyen. He has been appointed to the San Diego City Employees Retirement System Board of Administration.

“As a refugee living in a city enriched by many generations of immigrants and refugees, I see community service as an investment in our current and future generations,” said Nguyen in the release. “The current set of appointees under Mayor Gloria prioritizes myriad lived experiences, a group I am proud to be a part of. Having a diverse group of residents join a board or commission is a great way to ensure our city’s makeup is reflected in the city’s important decision-making positions.”

The city has launched a new user-friendly website designed to allow residents to more easily review vacancies and position expiration dates as well as apply for open positions. Find information at onboard.sandiego.gov.