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Rules Committee appoints seven members to sugary drink tax advisory committee, delays one seat
Summary
The Rules Committee on March 10 appointed seven people to the Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee from a field of 19 applicants, and continued one seat to give more applicants a chance to appear.
On March 10, 2025, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee appointed seven members to the Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee (SDDTAC) and continued one seat for further consideration.
Chair Walton told applicants the panel received 19 applicants for seven seats. "Obviously, we only have 7 seats, and there are 19 applicants," Walton said as candidates were called to speak for up to two minutes each.
The committee appointed the following candidates: Chester Kyle Williams (Seat 1); Gabriela Castellanos Rumbaugh (Seat 2); Frances Abigail "Abby" Cabrera (Seat 4); Jamie Schmidt (Seat 5); Shoon Moon (Seat 6); and Laura Urban (Seat 16). The committee continued Seat 3 to a future meeting to allow additional applicants the opportunity to appear. The motion to appoint the named candidates and continue one seat passed without objection.
Applicants described a range of relevant experience in community health, oral health, research and program operations. Gabriela Castellanos Rumbaugh, a coordinator for the Mission Children's Oral Health Task Force at CARESN, summarized the stakes of the work: "These programs have real world effects and consequences," she said, citing her clinical background and outreach to Latinx communities. Dr. John Ma, a general surgeon and previous committee member, said he sought reappointment to a "health equity seat" and described his long history in local and national efforts to reduce sugary-beverage consumption.
Chester Kyle Williams, current committee co-chair and a longtime organizer with Community Living Campaign, emphasized neighborhood-level delivery programs such as collaborations with Meals on Wheels in Bayview and Visitacion Valley. Other applicants described youth engagement, data evaluation experience, and school-based program work.
The SDDTAC oversees local investments funded by the city's sugary drink distributor tax. During the hearing no members of the public provided comment on the appointments. The committee's appointments will be forwarded with its recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors for confirmation as required.
