Ahsha Safai

Fighting to Put District 11 — Back on the Map!

Ahsha Safai

My name is Ahsha Safai (SA-FAH-EE) and I‘m running for District 11 Supervisor.

For too long, District 11 has been treated as the forgotten part of San Francisco. In fact, many long time neighbors sadly joke that our neighborhoods are carelessly left off of some City maps.

Be assured, this is no laughing matter.

As your neighbor, and a homeowner in the Excelsior, like many of you I have shared the same frustration of neglect that has plagued our neighborhoods for years. My response has been simple and straightforward: there is no issue too small or too large for me to try and solve with the good people of our community.

Over the past decade, I have worked as a City Planner on affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure improvements, job training, and citywide cleaning and greening.

I have pledged to run a grassroots neighborhood-based campaign. I have chosen to take public financing, and have amassed the vast majority of my support from everyday people from our community: janitors, accountants, nurses, plumbers, gardeners, firefighters, police officers, teachers, contractors, public servants, and many long-time friends.

Over the past year, I have walked door-to-door to listen to your concerns and to tell my story. With each neighbor I meet, I am more encouraged that as we work together we can restore a sense of pride to our community.

I would be honored to serve you as your new Supervisor and working together, I pledge to put our neighborhoods back on the map and make City Hall realize we are the true backbone of San Francisco!

- Ahsha Safai

San Francisco’s Next District 11 Supervisor

admin July 9th, 2008

Ahsha Safai is a passionate advocate for children and working families. He believes that
change begins at the local level where people are most affected by city government policies and
programs. In 2000, Ahsha along with his wife, Yadira Taylor, both decided to return to
her native San Francisco to practice city planning. Ahsha and Yadira are homeowners in the
Excelsior District because they believe it is an ideal place to raise a family.

Public Service in San Francisco

  • Communty Organizing - Continuing his commitment to children and families, in the summer of 2000, Ahsha accepted a position as the Legislative Liaison/Organizer for the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). While in this role, Ahsha spearheaded the development of a first-of-its-kind youth center designed solely to provide alternative programming for young adults. Ahsha also championed legislation to help immigrant families living in public housing and worked on new policies and programs to promote environmental conservation by its residents. In early 2003, Ahsha left the SFHA to become Deputy Field Director for Gavin Newsom’s successful campaign for mayor.

  • Neighborhood Revitalizaion - In early 2004, Ahsha was asked to serve as Deputy Director to the Mayor’s Office of Community Development (MOCD). MOCD distributes over $25 million in federal dollars from both the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) directed mainly towards neighborhood revitalization in low- to moderate-income communities. During his tenure, Ahsha oversaw the creation of the small business façade improvement program developed in partnership with Wells Fargo Bank as well as a $4 million loan for an Excelsior childcare center. He also helped to manage the grants application process for over 200 non-profits citywide that deliver vital services to San Francisco residents in need.

  • Cleaning & Greening - In the summer of 2006, Ahsha joined the Department of Public Works’ Clean Corridors team – a special initiative designed to make San Francisco’s commercial/neighborhood corridors cleaner through public-private partnerships. After great initial success, the Mayor Newsom committed over 2.4 million dollars to expand the Clean Corridors program to include 200 city blocks. Also, while responding to a surge in violence, Ahsha was directed to lead a citywide summer youth employment program for young adults to introduce them to the principals of urban forestry and public works projects.

  • Job Traning/Workforce Development - After seven years of service to the City, in 2007 Ahsha left to work for the Mission Language Vocational School (MLVS), a non-profit workforce development organization focused on educating and preparing newly arrived immigrants and welfare-to-work participants to enter the local job market. Over the past year, Ahsha helped to raise money from private and public sources to support the important work of this long-respected community educational facility and to advise its executive director on strategies to strengthen its educational delivery system.

It is these combined experiences in the public arena and the frustration he faced while trying to demand change at the neighborhood level that motivated Ahsha to run for public office.

Origins of Activism

Ahsha’s career in public service began in his hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at Northeastern University, Ahsha worked as an aide to a Cambridge City Councilor, where he learned first-hand the importance of effectively addressing local issues on behalf of those less fortunate. He went on to work for State Senator Mark Montigny an early leader in energy reform in the Massachusetts Legislature. While studying at Northeastern University, Ahsha developed a life-long mentorship with Governor Michael Dukakis. Upon graduating with a dual degree in African-American Studies & Political Science, Ahsha became an assistant to Loretta T. Avent, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Clinton administration, addressing the multitude of issues facing Native Americans. After his experience in the White House, Ahsha returned to Cambridge to join the Algebra Project – a program aimed at raising math literacy among Latino and African-American children founded by Civil Rights leader Bob Moses. In 2000, Ahsha graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a master’s degree in Urban Studies & City Planning with a concentration in neighborhood revitalization and a specialization in immigrant communities and public housing.

Ahsha Safai was born 1973. His father Ata Safai emigrated from Iran to the U.S. in the late 1950’s to study to become an architect and city planner. His mother Marsha McDonald a native of Texas studied to become a sociologist. Both committed their careers to public service and giving back to society. Along with his parents as role models, Ahsha learned the value of service and compassion from his maternal grandmother Faye Carpenter – a lifelong public school teacher and speech coach.

-->