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TIDA hears 1 Treasure Island plan for community ambassador workforce pilot
Summary
1 Treasure Island proposed a two‑year Treasure Island Community Ambassador Program to train and employ island residents and low‑income San Franciscans in outreach, emergency preparedness, community wellness and stewardship; launch planned Feb. 2026 with six ambassadors as a pilot expanding to 20 pending funding.
Nela Gonzales, executive director of 1 Treasure Island, presented the Treasure Island Community Ambassador Program (TCAP) to the TIDA board, describing it as "a 2 year workforce development and community building initiative led by 1 Treasure Island." Gonzales said the program will launch in February 2026 with a six‑person pilot and expand to 20 ambassadors subject to funding.
The program proposal calls for cross‑training ambassadors in community engagement, emergency preparedness and environmental stewardship. Gonzales emphasized that ambassadors "are not police officers" but will "observe and report," support community events, staff the food pantry and provide travel‑training and wayfinding for residents and visitors. Training partners named in the presentation include SFPD, Department of Public Health and a contractor (Moran) that provides community engagement training.
Gonzales said proposed compensation would start at a floor of $23 per hour and range up to $25 for lead ambassadors; staffing mixes under consideration include part‑time and full‑time arrangements. She said ambassadors will be evaluated quarterly and that the program will provide pathways to longer‑term employment with 1 Treasure Island should participants complete the two‑year training.
Directors and public commenters generally praised the pilot as a community‑focused workforce opportunity and asked about candidate selection and funding. Gonzales said recruitment will be open to San Francisco and Treasure Island residents 21 and older with a high school diploma or GED and some outreach or customer‑service experience; she said the program was initially intended to start larger but funding from a paused EPA grant limited the initial cohort to six.
Why it matters: The ambassador program aims to provide locally recruited jobs and improve community safety and access to services while building resident capacity for emergency response. The pilot's success will depend on securing additional funding to expand beyond six positions and on clear role definitions to avoid confusion with security or police duties.
Next steps: Board discussion was supportive; staff and 1 Treasure Island will continue recruitment and pursue funding. Gonzales said in‑person interviews will continue through the end of the week and that final interviews are planned by January for the February launch.
