Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question every week leading up to the election. They must answer the question in 100 words or less. We will link to longer answers.
With District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out and running for mayor, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission.
In a district with lots of new families and multi-generational families, parks and public recreational spaces are extremely important. Neighbors, however, often feel frustrated — and complain that hours of operation are not long enough at facilities such as the Boxer Stadium at Balboa Park.
This week, we are asking the candidates: What would you as supervisor do to open up Boxer Stadium more and bring resources to District 11 to make Balboa Park’s athletic fields more accessible?
Next week, I will be away for vacation. In the meantime, you can reach me with questions, comments, and tips at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Chyanne Chen
- Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator and educator
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, landlord, living in District 11 since August 2000
- Transportation: Walk, public transportation, rideshare, and car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, master’s degree from Cornell University, doctoral degree in education in progress at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
I’ve heard from neighbors who see Boxer Stadium locked up and not used the vast majority of time. When it is in use, they see dozens or a couple hundred fans, far from its 3,500 person capacity. They ask: Why can’t we access and use the field? How much does it cost to maintain this facility that rarely gets used?
It’s well past time for the neighborhood and city to reimagine the purpose of Boxer Stadium and its adjacent athletic fields, rather than continuing to spend resources maintaining a facility that serves very few.
As supervisor, I would facilitate … read more here
Endorsed by: Assemblymember Phil Ting, former police commissioner Larry Yee, San Francisco Board of Education commissioner Jenny Lam, former supervisors Norman Yee, Sandy Fewer and Mabel Teng.
Adlah Chisti
- Job: Public policy analyst, caregiver
- Age: 40
- Residency: Live with parents and caregive for them, born in District 11 in 1983 and lived there since, moved out in 2013 and back in 2017
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and in environmental science, and master’s degree in education from University of San Francisco, master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, juris doctorate from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi
We need to think about how to make Boxer Stadium more accessible for seniors, children and families. Right now, there’s no easy way for them to get there — no shuttle, no transportation, and that’s unacceptable. We need a shuttle service or some sort of transportation option that can bring seniors and others directly to the stadium. Given that Havelock Street is so narrow, the route might have to come through Ingleside Police Station or part of the Balboa Park Station area.
Endorsed by: United Educators of San Francisco, Green Party, Run for Something, Police Commissioner Debra Walker, … read more here
Ernest “EJ” Jones
- Job: Community advocate
- Age: 38
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college
- Transportation: Public, car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dominican University, master’s degree in public administration from University of San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
Boxer Stadium is another example of underutilized and under-resourced space in District 11. The stadium has been underutilized for years despite attempts to get more engagement at the site. As an aide, I fielded requests from the Glens Football Club who were looking for a space to host their United Soccer League games and practices. While the USL currently uses Boxer and Kezar Stadium for the SF Football Club I would love to see use expanded to additional local teams and an investment of lights so that the stadium can host nighttime events.
Working with the Friends groups may be … read more here
Endorsed by: Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Former SF mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A… read more here
Michael Lai
- Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
- Age: 31
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since February 2024
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College with coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Languages: English, Mandarin
I grew up playing soccer, same as many District 11 kids, and modernizing Boxer Stadium is a historic opportunity. I see two paths forward: the first is to try to accelerate fundraising and modernization for World Cup 2026 practice games. Though that is only 1.5 years away, why not try to do something faster than expected instead of insanely slow for once? Fundraising and fast operations with public private partnerships is something I have experience in (have raised about $17.9 million for a new daycare network during Covid) and would be excited about.
In the likely scenario that… read more here
Endorsed by: Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union… read more here
Roger Marenco
- Job: Transit operator
- Age: 42
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since May 2014
- Transportation: Public
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability and social justice from San Francisco State University. City College San Francisco
- Languages: English, Spanish
We will re-appropriate the funds and divert them towards parks, family needs and community upgrades. We will host monthly events in collaboration with SFPD, SFFD, CBO, non-profit organizations, street vendors and influencers, so that we can bring more publicity to make Balboa Park’s athletics fields more accessible. We will use the media and social network sites to promote all of our monthly events to attract large numbers of community members which will create outstanding results when it comes to public support.
Jose Morales
- Job: Sales professional, small-business owner
- Age: 28
- Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived there since, except for time away in college from 2014 to 2017 and living in Idaho from 2021 to the end of 2022
- Transportation: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University
- Languages: English, Spanish
Boxer Stadium is home to SF City FC, a local soccer club. After attending a game a few months ago, I noticed a few issues: finding the entrance was confusing, and there was a significant lack of accessibility.
All of our green spaces should be accessible to everyone. Therefore, I would start by advocating for increased funding for accessibility improvements. Additionally, I would listen to community feedback to understand what is desired from Boxer Stadium, so we can work together to achieve the community’s goals.
Campaign finance
Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated weekly. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at xueer@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the District 11 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
About the author
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