District 7 Supervisor-elect Myrna Melgar has come a long way from having fled a civil war in El Salvador with her parents and sisters in the 1980s to becoming the first Latina supervisor elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors since 1994.
On Thursday, city officials, family and supporters, joined Melgar in a swearing-in ceremony online to cement her place on the board after she won the November election to represent District 7. The official swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday, Jan. 8 with other re-elected supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen, Ahsha Safai and Connie Chan, who was elected to serve District 1.
Safai, who represents a sizable part of the greater Ingleside neighborhood and was re-elected in 2020, did not have a swearing-in ceremony.
Outgoing board president District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee supported Melgar’s campaign to replace him on the board. Yee has been a staunch advocate for early childcare education, pedestrian safety and for the city’s seniors during his time on the board. He said he knows Melgar will continue to make those topics a priority for her office.
“I’m so glad that you have your own agenda which is really, really good, but I feel very, very comfortable that those three issues are not going to get lost when you,” Yee said. “You do care about these things.”
Yee added that he could well sleep at night knowing that the district is in capable hands.
Melgar’s sister, Claudia Quintana, said her family has been blessed despite having fled from El Salvadar and being new arrivals to the United States.
She said her sister at an early age set an example of achievement and fearlessness in everything she did at an early age whether it was joining the debate team or excelling in school.
“Everything she does, she does with great heart and energy,” Quintana said. “I am certain that given her talents and her track record. She is the perfect person to represent the San Francisco voters and District 7 and, lady,I’m looking forward to seeing how she does it.”
Former supervisor Susan Leal administered the oath to Melgar during an online ceremony.
After the oath, Melgar thanked her family and supporters as she took office on Friday. She said the city is facing many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s economy and online learning for students.
“It has destroyed and stressed our small businesses,” Melgar said. “People are losing their homes and their jobs. A generation of youth is losing the personal interactions at school that are crucial to their development.”
Despite the challenges ahead, Melgar said she committed to work hard for the district and city.
“I commit to you that I will work hard to help our neighbors in our neighborhoods,” Melgar said. “I commit that I will be the bridge builder and the consensus maker that we need right now.”
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