Rules Committee forwards Eduardo Santa Cana’s nomination to Board of Appeals

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on July 22 unanimously moved to recommend the mayor’s nomination of Eduardo Santa Cana to the Board of Appeals, following remarks by the nominee and public endorsements from legal colleagues.

Santa Cana introduced himself to the committee and described a career that includes trial work at Kecker, Van Ness & Peters, federal judicial clerkships and pro bono representation of unaccompanied minors. He told the panel he would bring administrative-appeals experience and a focus on careful, impartial review to the Board of Appeals.

"I think I'm well suited to the task of exercising independent judgment in these types of cases," Santa Cana said in his remarks to the committee.

Several speakers who said they had worked with Santa Cana urged the committee to approve the nomination. Rick Swig, identified as the Board of Appeals president, said Santa Cana had met with current commissioners and "would be very, very helpful in filling out the skill base that we require to do our job." John Kecker, founder of the firm where Santa Cana works, and colleagues including Simona Analucci and Jay Rapoport described his litigation experience and sustained pro bono work.

After public comment concluded, Supervisor Marr moved to amend the item to remove the option of rejecting the nomination and to press for approval. "Without objection, that motion passes unanimously," the committee chair said, and the nomination was forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors as a committee report.

The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the action was taken by unanimous consent. The nomination will next appear on a Board of Supervisors agenda for final confirmation.