City Government

Post Endorsements: Sheng Thao, Pam Harris and Joseph Simmons for District 4 City Council

Published

6 years ago

October 12, 2018

Incumbent Annie Campbell Washington is not running for reelection in District 4, and seven candidates are campaigning for the empty seat, which represents the Montclair, Dimond and Laurel neighborhoods.

The Oakland Post endorses Sheng Thao, who has worked for five years for councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and is her chief of staff.

The Post also recommends that voters choose Pam Harris, who works in fiscal management for nonprofits, for their second choice and Joseph Simmons, senior pastor for the Greater St. Paul Church in Oakland, for third choice.

Working in City Hall, Sheng Thao has experience developing the city’s budget and has sought ways to secure local funding for public safety, transit and capital improvement.

She is endorsed by elected officials, including Assemblyman Rob Bonta, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín, school board President Aimee Eng and City Councilmember Noel Gallo.

She is also endorsed by the International Association of Firefighters Local 55, National Union of Healthcare Workers, the Black Young Democrats of the East Bay and the John George Democratic Club.

Sheng Thao comes from a Hmong American family, which arrived in the U.S. as asylum seekers in the wake of the Vietnam War. A single mother and domestic violence survivor, she graduated from Merritt College and U.C. Berkeley.,

In an interview on ABC7, she said, “My campaign is a reflection on how I will govern…

Everyone in our community deserves to be part of the democratic process.”

Because she already has experience working on the council she said, “Our district will have a seat at the table on day one.”

Pam Harris is running on a platform of dignity “a city where everyone who wants to live here can afford to be here; equity, a city with “a living wage, union jobs, and economic opportunities for all; and compassion, “shelter and basic services for all who need them.”

She has 25 years’ experience serving in the nonprofit, documentary film, and philanthropy sectors. Over the course of her career, she has worked in youth development, violence prevention, health care reform, LGBTQ rights, racial and socioeconomic inclusion, and fiscal management for nonprofits.

Pam Harris earned a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree in journalism from UC. Berkeley. She lives with her mother, her two children and her wife.

Her endorsements include Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington, Mayor Libby Schaaf, the Oakland Police Officers Association and the Sierra Club.

Joseph Simmons stands for “housing security, safe and secure neighborhoods, community beautification, transparent city government, community beautification and local business empowerment and promotion.

“We need to tackle some of the problems that are not being tackled (by) City Hall,” he said.

Simmons says he is deeply committed to help families who are “struggling to keep a roof over their heads.”

“Progress is great, but we need balance in our city,” he said in an interview on ABC7. “While we’re bringing new people in with new businesses, we also need to take care of the people here that we have under the bridges.”

“As the Senior Pastor of Greater St. Paul Church in Oakland for over 20 years, I have been on the front line of every societal problem from beginning to end of life,” he says on his website.

Oakland Post

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Related Topics:District 4 Joseph Simmons Oakland Pam Harris Politics Sheng Thao

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

17 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

18 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

18 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.