HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Myrna Melgar (born March 17, 1968) is an American politician currently serving as a member of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the board of supervisors, legislative body within the government of San Francisco, government of the San Francisco, City and County of San Francisco in the U.S. state of California. Government and polit ...
for District 7 since January 8, 2021. Melgar is the first woman elected to represent District 7.


Early life and education

Melgar was born in El Salvador. Her family fled during the
Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War () was a twelve-year civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador, backed by the United States, and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition of left-wing guer ...
when she was 12 and settled in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. Later on, she attended San Francisco State University and graduated from
Excelsior College Excelsior University is a private online university in Albany, New York. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and comprises three schools: the school of undergraduate studies, the school of graduate studies, and the school of nursing ...
, earning a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts and a master's degree in Urban Planning from
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
.


Career

Melgar formerly worked as the executive director of the Jamestown Community Center, Deputy Director of the Mission Economic Development Agency, Director of Homeownership Programs at the Mayor's Office of Housing during the Newsom Administration, and served as President of the City Planning Commission and Vice President of the Building Inspection Commission. Melgar also served as a legislative aid to
Eric Mar Eric Lee Mar (born August 15, 1962) is an American politician. He served on the San Francisco Board of Education and San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee. In 2008, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He represe ...
.


San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Melgar was elected Supervisor for District 7 on November 3, 2020, with 18,561 total votes after ranked-choice allocations, garnering 53.1% of the vote. She was sworn into office on January 8, 2021, replacing former Supervisor and President of the Board Norman Yee, who endorsed her as his successor. Melgar chairs the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the Board and serves on the Youth, Young Adult, and Families Committee, and the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. Melgar is also a Commissioner for the County Transportation Authority, Bay Area Air Quality District, and the First Five Commission. Melgar has advocated for the expansion of the "Free Muni for Youth" program to all youth in August 2021.


Housing

In 2021, Melgar voted to block construction of a 495-unit apartment building with 25% affordable housing on the site of a valet parking lot. The controversial vote prompted an investigation of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by California state officials. In 2023, Melgar voted to halt the conversion of a single-family home in Nob Hill into ten townhomes over concerns of contaminated soils. In 2024, she voted against anti-housing legislation that would restrict housing supply in San Francisco's Northern Waterfront.


Personal life

Melgar resides in the Ingleside Terraces neighborhood with her partner, environmental lawyer Sean H. Donahue, and three daughters. She is of Jewish descent.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Melgar, Myrna 1968 births Living people 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century California politicians American politicians of Salvadoran descent Columbia University alumni Democratic Party county supervisors in California Excelsior College alumni Hispanic and Latino American city council members Hispanic and Latino American people in California politics Jewish American people in California politics Jewish American women in politics Salvadoran emigrants to the United States San Francisco Board of Supervisors members Women city councillors in California