Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza
FHMP is comprised of two core committees, Steering Committee and Honorary Committee.
The Steering Committee functions as the Board of Directors who ultimately determine the priorities and responsibilities for the organization. The Steering Committee is a working board, who volunteer their time to serve in this capacity, meet monthly, serve on sub-committees and elect a leadership team amongst its members.
The Honorary Committee is committed to our mission and functions as advocates for the organization and its projects.
Steering Committee
Andrea Aiello, Castro/Upper Market CBD, FHMP President
Brian Springfield, Board Member - Castro Merchants, FHMP Vice President
Robin Abad, SF Planning Department, FHMP Secretary
Daniel Bergerac, President - Castro Merchants, FHMP Steering Committee
John Dennis, Landscape Architect ASLA, LEED, FHMP Steering Committee
Gregg Cassin, Activist & Visionary, FHMP Steering Committee
Brian Gougherty, Castro/Upper Market CBD, FHMP Steering Committee
Marvin Miller, Oakland LGBTQ+ Community Center, FHMP Steering Committee
Reinhardt Muir, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, FHMP Steering Committee
Dawn Shalhoup, Entrepreneur & PR Executive, FHMP Steering Committee
Mark Briggs, Graphic Designer, FHMP Steering Committee
Honorary Committee
Dustin Lance Black, Screenwriter
Carmen Chu, Assessor-Recorder, City and County of San Francisco
Bevan Dufty, Board of Directors, BART
Rob Epstein, Director, Writer & Producer
Cleve Jones, Activist & Community Leader
Ken Jones, Community Activist (Subject, ABC TV Mini-Series, When We Rise)
Kate Kendell, Executive Director, NCLR
Anne Kronenberg, Executive Director, City and County of SF - Dept. of Emergency Mgmt.
Rafael Mandelman, SF Supervisor - District 8
Holly Near
Danny Nicoletta, Photographer & Artist
Tom Nolan, Former: San Mateo County Supervisor & Executive Dir., Project Open Hand
Donna Sachet, LGBT activist and entertainer
Dr. Timothy Seelig, Artistic Director, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
Jeff Sheehy, former SF Supervisor - District 8
Theresa Sparks, Former Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission
Gary Virginia, Past President, SF Pride
Phil Walker, CEO, Phil Walker Law, Founder - MAX SF
Scott Wiener, CA State Senator
Author and activist Cleve Jones, who stood with Milk at rallies in the same location over 40 years ago, expressed his enthusiasm, stating “Harvey understood that the LGBT community was part of something larger, and creating something special here will inspire others to carry on the global movement for peace and social justice. I commend Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza for their transparency; I encourage everyone to participate in these community meetings and help create a plaza that inspires generations to come!"
“Community engagement is what helped get Harvey elected to office, and it’s fitting for the community be so engaged in this tribute to his legacy. I want to thank the Friends of the Harvey Milk Plaza and the Castro CBD for their continued efforts to create a plaza that works with our public transit systems, serves as a community gathering space, and celebrates the legacy of Harvey’s work,” said California State Senator, Scott Wiener.
“Thank you to those engaged in this thoughtful community process, facilitated by the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza and Castro CBD. Now is the time to honor Harvey’s legacy, while those who knew and loved him are still with us to help ensure a fitting memorial,” said Rafael Mandelman, SF Supervisor - District 8.
Dr. Tim Seelig, Artistic Director, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, “The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus' first performance was at the candlelight vigil for Harvey Milk. In many ways we feel he passed the baton on to many of us, including the chorus. Since that time, almost 40 years ago, we have been inspired almost daily by the man who was Harvey. We have gathered all over town to celebrate his life. But there is no location befitting his world-wide legacy. We need a place where people from all over the globe can visit as they continue to gain inspiration from his life and, most of all, his message.”
Ken Jones, community activist featured in the ABC mini-series When We Rise, "I am humbled that we have the responsibility to create a tribute or marker of LGBT activism that began on the corner of Castro and 18th and is continuing to spread across the world; and, making our troubled world a better place to live, not only for those who are with us now, but equally as important, for all those who will walk these paths in the future."
Carmen Chu, Assessor-Recorder, City and County of San Francisco, “This project is about honoring our City’s rich history through investments in our public spaces – it celebrates champions like Harvey Milk who fought for inclusion and justice, values that make San Francisco a beacon for the world.”
Donna Sachet, LGBT activist and entertainer, “How many times have we seen things happen in the City seemingly overnight without any notice and then complained about them for years? This time we have had the rare opportunity to be a part of the process, as technical improvements to Harvey Milk Plaza open the door to enhancements, corrections, and improvements that we want. Having attended several of the community meetings over the course of months, I witnessed first-hand the passion this community has for this very special corner and I was impressed with the variety of creative ideas presented. Harvey Milk Plaza should and will more fully reflect the man whose name it bears and the surrounding neighborhood will celebrate the coming changes.”
Partners
The Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza are working to appropriately celebrate Harvey Milk's legacy and his contribution to the LGBT civil rights movement in the plaza that bears his name in San Francisco. Partners are those who share our desire to see Harvey Milk honored at this location.
