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Rules Committee advances multiple nominees to Veterans Affairs Commission
Summary
After hearing from a slate of applicants about homelessness, mental health, employment and data strategies, the Rules Committee forwarded several nominees — including reappointments and new nominees — to the full Board of Supervisors with positive recommendations.
The Rules Committee on April 1 heard presentations from a large group of applicants for open seats on San Francisco’s Veterans Affairs Commission and forwarded a slate of nominees to the full Board of Supervisors with positive recommendations.
Chair Supervisor Hillary Ronan asked applicants to describe how the commission should advise the Board and mayor on veterans’ economic development, health care and social services and to identify the most urgent priorities. Applicants emphasized similar themes: veterans’ homelessness and housing stability, mental-health access, underemployment and reintegration supports, and better use of data and partnerships to advance policy.
Hanley Chan described personal experience with homelessness and said he would prioritize veterans’ housing and mental-health services. David Chastain, who said he was recently elected commission president, argued the commission should return a substantive annual (or biannual) report to guide policy. George Tuning recommended public–private partnerships to address underemployment. Victor Oliveri and others urged structural changes including liaison assignments to each supervisor, a veterans affairs senior adviser to the mayor, veterans hiring initiatives, and efforts to expand aging-veteran care.
Public commenters voiced support for specific applicants, notably Hanley Chan and the absent nominee Douglas Bullard. After discussion, Supervisors Walton and Marr led motions and positive recommendations for multiple seats; the clerk read the final list into the record. The committee took the motions "without objection" and declared them passed.
Recorded appointments/recommendations included reappointments of incumbent commissioners Victor Oliveri (seat 1) and David Chastain (seat 4), and positive recommendations for George Tuning (seat 8), Raymond Goldberg (seat 11), Stephen Martin Pinto (seat 7), Hanley Chan (seat 9), Christopher McDonough (seat 11 in an exchange of preferences), and others as recorded by the clerk. The committee did not record roll-call tallies; motions were entered and passed by unanimous consent.
The committee’s positive recommendations will be forwarded to the full Board for confirmation on the Board agenda specified by the clerk.
