ALONDRA ESQUIVEL GARCIA, CO-PRESIDENT
Alondra is an alumna of San Francisco State University. During her time in college, she held various leadership roles and was a Willie Brown Jr. Fellow at the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority. Previously, Alondra worked as a San Francisco Fellow in the Department of Public Health for the City and County of San Francisco.
She is now the Director of the San Francisco Youth Commission, where she is dedicated to advocating for youth and impacting local government systems. Alondra is passionate about electing women to office and effecting positive change in her community.
alondra@sfwpc.org
CHELSEY FRANK, CO-PRESIDENT
Chelsey (she/her) is an engineering manager at Remix by Via where she helps make public transit systems and cities more livable, accessible, and equitable. She has been active in SFWPC for several years, leading the Policy Committee’s internal learning efforts and on the Board as PAC Co-Chair.
Chelsey is passionate about supporting women-owned small businesses and safer, more inclusive street infrastructure. She’s been involved in related community advocacy in North Beach, where she lives her partner, an apartment full of plants, and their soon-to-be-born daughter.
chelsey@sfwpc.org
ANGELINA POLSELLI, VICE PRESIDENT
Angelina (she/they) is currently the Community Affairs Assistant serving the Office of the Mayor of San Francisco. Before her time at City Hall, Angelina previously lead operations at Manny’s and community engagement at the Civic Joy Fund. In their free time, you can find Angelina at your local neighborhood cafe, marching down Market St., or attending the next concert.
angelina@sfwpc.org
JOY ZHAN, SECRETARY-TREASURER
Joy is currently the Youth Development Specialist for the San Francisco Youth Commission, providing the Youth Commissioners with the necessary training to become leaders of their own and serving as their liaison to the Board of Supervisors. Joy is an immigrant from Taishan, China, and is a product of SFUSD. She’s a graduate of UC Riverside with a double major in Economics and Chinese from UC Riverside.
Joy started her community organizing in Youth MOJO with the Chinese Progressive Association when she was 16 and worked on multiple electoral campaigns throughout the years. During the pandemic, she founded the Tech Squad program at Felton Institute that provided tech training to seniors, especially monolingual Chinese seniors. However, it was during Joy’s internship in the District 10 office that she fell in love with public service, realizing that many AAPI folks are not aware of the various city services that can help them. She wants to ensure that through her work, the AAPI community can get connected to the services they need.
Joy currently serves as President of the SEIU 1021 Civic Center Chapter, and she’s on the board for the Rose Pak Democratic Club and Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance SF Chapter to continue expanding the rights of youth, for all communities to have a voice in our government, and to ensure equity and accessible resources for all.
joy@sfwpc.org
JOAN ALLEN, PARLIAMENTARIAN
Joan (she/her) has been a San Franciscan for nearly 20 years and is thrilled that she and her partner Rob are still discovering new things about the Bay Area and about San Francisco – so many parks, restaurants, hiking trails, and museums to explore. When not exploring, Joan is likely at home trying to convince her cat to not attack visitors.
For the past 15 years Joan has worked for SEIU United Healthcare Workers (SEIU-UHW) representing healthcare workers in California, currently in a government relations/advocacy role. There she fights to ensure that California’s healthcare workers have a voice on the job and a voice in spaces where policies that affect their work, patients, and communities are made.
Joan earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rice University.
joan@sfwpc.org
ANNE EMIKO YAMAMOTO, FUNDRAISING CHAIR
Anne manages operations for a public policy research non profit. She has a background in community affairs and political and nonprofit fundraising in San Francisco. She was born and raised in San Francisco where she received her BA in Sociology and MA in International Studies from the University of San Francisco.
anne@sfwpc.org
DAVIDA SILVERMAN, POLICY CO-CHAIR
Davida is a seasoned public policy strategist with over 20 years of experience in promoting equitable health care at all government levels. She currently serves as Policy Director at Genentech, having previously held key roles at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Health Law Program. She also recently served as an adjunct law professor of administrative law at her alma mater, the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School.
Davida brings her passion for women’s health to her volunteer work where she serves as a Board Member of SisterWeb and Bayview Sol, two non-profits in San Francisco that aim to improve maternal health care for low-income communities and people of color. She resides in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and cat.
davida@sfwpc.org
MELISSA PADILLA, POLICY CO-CHAIR
Melissa is a civil and human rights attorney currently serving as a Legal Fellow with the National Student Legal Defense Network. At Student Defense, Melissa advances students’ rights to educational opportunity by litigating cases involving student debt relief and institutional accountability against universities and the Department of Education. Melissa’s legal experience spans a wide range of civil rights and human rights cases, including workplace pregnancy discrimination, gender discrimination, Title IX violations, femicide and transfemicide cases, and international human rights abuses. She has litigated cases in U.S. state and federal courts as well as international human rights tribunals. Notable cases include Bragg et al. v. Pacific Maritime Association, et al. and Agapito Perez Lucas et al. v. Guatemala.Throughout her career, Melissa has worked with premier organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Equal Rights Advocates, Landesa, and EQUIS: Justicia para las Mujeres. Beyond litigation,
Melissa is a dedicated advocate for gender justice, focusing on policies that promote accountability, combat gender-based violence, ensure non-discrimination, and expand economic opportunities for women. Melissa has published academic articles on feminicide, abortion rights, and Indigenous human rights. She also represented civil society as a delegate to the 63rd United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Juris Doctor with a concentration in International Law from the University of San Diego.
melissa@sfwpc.org
MELANIE GIROD, MEMBERSHIP CO-CHAIR
Melanie is a finance professional in the private sector. Born and raised in France, she found her way to the Bay Area, which she now calls home. Passionate about the policy process and politics in general, she has volunteered in various organizations across the Bay, from providing employment services to low-income communities, to supporting refugees resettled in the East Bay. Her drive to support and advance women’s and LGBTQ rights, protect access to healthcare, fight poverty and promote fairness and equity guided her to the Policy Committee, where she has brought forward inclusive and progressive legislation. A fierce advocate of equitable access to opportunity and public services, she is a life-long learner and takes advantage of the many opportunities offered in our city to better her education, by taking classes at City College of San Francisco or reading at the San Francisco Public Library. She loves the outdoors and you can find her running on the trails of the Golden Gate Park, or hiking in the Marin Headlands.
melanie@sfwpc.org
MALAIKA KIRKWOOD, MEMBERSHIP CO-CHAIR
Malaika is a Bay Area native who is passionate about empowering candidates and causes to make positive local change. Malaika received her degree in Public Policy from New York University, where she was a member of the Politics Society and a director for the Public Policy Student Board. Her on-the-ground experience in politics includes interning for the NY State Assembly and DC-based fundraising firm Fulkerson Kennedy & Co. Malaika returned to the Bay Area in 2022, starting her career in fundraising for local campaigns and non-profits in Alameda County. She now works at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco, where she is thrilled to be bringing together her background in fundraising with her love for the arts.
malaika@sfwpc.org
CLAIRE JACOBS, COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIR
Claire (she/her) is a storyteller and community organizer in San Francisco. She currently serves as a product marketer at Onbe, a payments fintech company, and as the founding editor of Unscene, a zine telling culture and community stories in SF. Claire is passionate about making political perspectives and happenings more accessible and understandable for San Franciscans. She got her start in politics interning for a California State Assemblyman and as a student organizer in the March For Our Lives movement.
Claire graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BSBA in Entrepreneurship. She can be found running through Golden Gate Park or reading science fiction at Wooden coffeehouse.
claire@sfwpc.org
ELIZABETH LAM, COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIR
Elizabeth is a public affairs professional with over a decade of experience in government relations, advocacy, and strategic communications. She serves as the government and legislative affairs lead for the public health care delivery system in the East Bay, where she fosters partnerships and advocates for access to care. Elizabeth’s career spans roles in state government, where she managed communications and press for a State Assemblymember, and local leadership, including her service as a Berkeley Planning Commissioner. She has also served on the executive boards for Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter and East Bay Young Democrats.
Elizabeth holds a MPA from USC Price School of Public Policy, an LLB from University of London and a BS from UC Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and their labradoodle, Muddy.
elizabeth@sfwpc.org
SARAH MONTOYA, EVENTS CO-CHAIR
A mom of three, Sarah is passionate about shifting the national conversation on supporting families. She advocates for paid family leave, affordable childcare, reproductive rights, and common-sense gun reform. Sarah moved to San Francisco in 2008 with three suitcases and an unpaid internship, quickly diving into social change by creating a curriculum on daily activism.
Over the years, she’s worked in roles ranging from hospital chaplain to community organizer, most recently managing 130 house parties for former Mayor Breed’s re-election campaign.
Obsessed with raising city kids and spending time with her tiny dog Minnie, Sarah is dedicated to making San Francisco more family-friendly with affordable housing, improved schools, and expanded childcare and paid leave.
sarah@sfwpc.org
MELANIE MATHEWSON, EVENTS CO-CHAIR
Melanie currently works as a Legislative Aide for Board of Supervisors’ President Rafael Mandelman. Prior to her role in City Hall, Melanie worked in electoral politics helping to elect women to the California State Assembly and to County Supervisor positions throughout the Bay Area.
Melanie holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Northeastern University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and Political Science. She was the founding member of her college’s Title IX Committee which worked to ensure the protections of Title IX were guaranteed to all female-identifying students and staff across campus.
A Northern California native, Melanie spent the better half of the last decade studying and working in Boston prior to relocating to San Francisco in 2023. In her free time, Melanie enjoys playing sports in one of the many leagues across San Francisco and talking all things policy to anyone who will listen.
melaniem@sfwpc.org
KIM KOLLWITZ, PAC CO-CHAIR
Kim is a seasoned policy, communications, and community engagement expert. For more than a decade, her career has focused on making measurable, positive impacts throughout California in senior legislative roles, campaign fundraising, and communications and marketing for Bay Area nonprofits and small businesses. Currently, she works at Project Open Hand in the Tenderloin.
Raised by a single mother, Kim is deeply passionate about supporting women and families through urban infrastructure, access to supportive services, and leadership opportunities. She is a proud alum of the University of San Francisco, the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and Community Engagement, and the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship.
kim@sfwpc.org
VERONICA LEMPERT, PAC CO-CHAIR
Veronica grew up just south of San Francisco and now lives in Hayes Valley. She currently works as a Legislative Aide at the SF Board of Supervisors and previously ran her own doula business, supporting families across the Bay Area. She’s passionate about helping women get elected to office, advocating for maternal and reproductive health policy, and making San Francisco a city where everyone can thrive.
Veronica loves to write, read, cook, play tennis, swim, and spending time with friends. She’s excited to serve as Co-Chair of the PAC Committee on SFWPC’s Board, help keep people engaged in policy, elections, and all things SF politics.
veronica@sfwpc.org
TIFFANY SUTTON, AT LARGE BOARD MEMBER
Tiffany brings a wealth of experience and a collaborative approach to the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee, At Large Board Position. Throughout her career, Tiffany has built a reputation for forging strong partnerships between community stakeholders and public safety agencies. Her expertise spans restorative justice, violence prevention, juvenile justice policy, drug treatment program implementation, strategic planning, grant writing and management, and criminal trial litigation.
Tiffany is also the proud mom of two young men, and the wife to a loving husband. In her spare-time she enjoys hanging out with family and friends and enjoying life to the fullest.
tiffany@sfwpc.org
ANAíS BENAVIDES, AT LARGE BOARD MEMBER
Anaís is currently a Social Media and Marketing Specialist as well as Speech and Debate Coach for a communications firm. She received her B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley, where she held leadership positions in the ASUC and her sorority. Before moving to the Bay Area, she served on the Santa Ana Youth Commission for seven years. She has a background in community organizing, advocacy, and grant writing and is excited to bring this to SFWPC! Fun fact: Anaís went to a performing arts high school!
anais@sfwpc.org
ADRIANNA ZHANG, AT LARGE BOARD MEMBER
Born and raised in San Francisco, Adrianna is a Stanford University public policy student passionate about including women, young people, and community in government. As former Chair of the San Francisco Youth Commission from 2021 to 2022, she led the successful Free Muni for Youth Campaign and the Vote16 (Prop G 2020) campaign. She has also worked for the Raben Group in Washington DC on federal civil rights and justice initiatives, as well as in several offices of Democratic elected officials in California. She was awarded UNICEF USA’s Outstanding Youth Award on World Children’s day in 2021 and a featured speaker at TedxCity of San Francisco.
adrianna@sfwpc.org
JENNIFER LONGLEY, ADVISORY BOARD
Jennifer is an experienced campaign, public affairs, and communications strategist with two decades of expertise organizing on behalf of clients throughout California, including San Francisco’s Jane Kim for Supervisor and Mark Leno for State Senate campaigns. An organizer at heart, Jennifer has served as executive staff to local and statewide Democratic Party organizations, and as a strategic consultant to successful candidate, municipal, labor, and nonprofit clients as they seek positive change in their communities, one election at a time.
Passionate about youth and neighborhood political involvement, Jennifer has previously served as Chair of the San Francisco and California Young Democrats, and of the District 5 Democratic Club. A Bay Area native and proud SF State alum, Jennifer enjoys Giants games, local theatre, and traveling. She can often be found hiking the trails in Golden Gate Park with her partner and her dog.
jennifer@sfwpc.org
NADIA RAHMAN, ADVISORY BOARD
Nadia is an activist, organizer and digital communications consultant. The main issues she focuses on are intersectional feminism, SWANA and Muslim identity, and social and racial justice. Nadia served as SFWPC Co-President for two years during the 2021 and 2022 board terms. During her time as Co-President, Nadia led an internal and external transformation of SFWPC during which the org rededicated its focus to intersectional feminism; redefined its mission, vision, and values; established its first ever policy agenda; and developed systems, processes, and ways of working to make the org more impactful.
Nadia is an Emerge California bootcamp alumnae, and ran for a seat on San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee in March 2020. Nadia received her BBA in Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin and her MBA from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
nadia@sfwpc.org
DENISE HEITZENRODER, ADVISORY BOARD
A long-time member of SFWPC, Denise most recently served as the organization’s PAC Chair, and previously as the Communications Co-Chair. She has a long history of working on women’s issues, supporting leadership development in progressive communities, and advocating on a wide range of social justice issues. Originally from New Jersey, she moved to Southern California in 2003, and worked her way north to Santa Cruz and then San Francisco, where she has resided for almost 20 years. Her background is in nonprofit management and campaigns: she’s worked in communications and organizing roles on a variety issue and IE campaigns in California, New Mexico, Washington state, and Kansas, as well as on progressive events across the country. She tends to nerd out about election administration, civil rights, and environmental justice issues.
Denise is incredibly proud to have supported the launch of, and served on the board of, the amazing nonprofit MotherCoders, now Bitwise Impact. She has also volunteered with the United Way of the Bay Area and served in various roles with the local and national arms of New Leaders Council. While Denise has plenty of political opinions, if you really want to get the Jersey girl going, bring up pizza, clothes designed for women that lack pockets, or get her chatting about her two cats, Whiskey and Rye.
denise@sfwpc.org