City Government

Support Rebecca Kaplan for City Council President

Published

6 years ago

December 27, 2018

Rebecca Kaplan

Oakland City Council will be sworn in to office, including three newly-elected members. Immediately after the swearing-in (which starts at 11 a.m.), the Council will have the opportunity to select its leaders for the coming year, including selecting the Council President.
The President runs the meetings, initiates the Committee assignments and takes the lead on crafting the agenda and making sure participation happens smoothly. For the coming term, we urge the Council to support Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan for the position of Council President.
Kaplan has served on the Council for 10 years and has been re-elected by large margins, city-wide, representing all the people of Oakland, and has a track record of working successfully to build broad coalitions and advance policies to protect the needs of our community.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from MIT, a Master’s in Urban and Environmental Policy, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School and is well equipped to handle the work of the Council Presidency, both in terms of understanding policy and for handling the procedural rules that govern Council meetings.
Kaplan was elected unanimously, twice, as Chair of another government Board, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, which includes representatives from all of the cities in Alameda County, along with transit agencies and County Supervisors.
Therefore, Rebecca has experience chairing meetings, making committee assignments, and leading the passage and implementation of successful ballot measures, with an even larger and more complicated Board.
Rebecca has a track record of successfully bringing people together to develop and pass important initiatives, including the recent Oakland Vacant Property tax to fund homeless solutions, passing a citywide public lands policy for Oakland, Alameda County’s Measure BB to fund transportation and infrastructure, and winning over $50 million in regional funding to clean up air pollution in Oakland’s hardest-hit communities from trucks, trains, and more.
Kaplan has helped to fight for fairness in employment and contracting, including for a disparity study, to improve access and equity in banking, for meaningful community police oversight, and will work to help make sure homeless solutions and job training are strengthened.
Recently, Kaplan successfully intervened to help reject racial profiling and strengthen the police commission, including regarding the problem of searches of people on parole and probation.
As a person who treats others with respect and understands that we are to be judged by how we treat the least of these, and as a person of faith and bible scholar who works well with those of all backgrounds, Kaplan will ensure a welcoming and harmonious environment at Council meetings.
For all these reasons and more, we urge the Council to elect Rebecca Kaplan as Council President for the coming term.
Co-signers of open letter supporting Kaplan for council president are: Noni Session, John Jones III, Kimberly Mayfield, Rev. Dr. Harold R. Mayberry, Henry Gage III, James Vann, Lynette Neidhardt, Rashidah Grinage, Henry Hitz. Pamela Drake, Gary Jimenez (VP of Politics, SEIU 1021*)
*Organization listed for identification only.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

6 days ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

2 weeks 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

2 weeks 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.