First generation immigrant Gloria Li nominated to SFMTA Board of Directors

(SAN FRANCISCO) Gloria Li, a first generation immigrant from Hong Kong and an active member in District 6 neighborhood, was nominated by Mayor London Breed last week to serve on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors.

The SFMTA's 7-member Board of Directors, who are all mayoral appointees, is a policy oversight body for the entire service provided by the city's transportation agency, including Municipal Railway (Muni), automobiles, trucks, taxis, bicycling, walking, parking, traffic violations and citations.

All members of the SFMTA Board of Directors also serve on the San Francisco Parking Authority. Its service is related to almost everyone who lives and works in San Francisco.

If Li's nomination is approved by the Board of Supervisors, Li will fill in the vacancy left by Sharon Lai who resigned from the Board in July. Li will also become the only Chinese and Asian member on the SFMTA Board. The appointment means even more significant to the Asian community.

Li is currently an Associate Director of Ascend Leadership, where she spearheads national programs for the Asian Executive and Board Directors network. Prior to moving on to the private sector, Li served as the Director of External Affairs and Interim Director of Communications for California State Treasurer Fiona Ma for years.

As a resident with her family in the newly-developed Transbay neighborhood in District 6, Li has been actively involved in the local community and served as the District's representative for the Transbay Joint Power Authority (TJPA) Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) for six years.

"I am proud to nominate Gloria Li to the SFMTA Board of Directors. She is a champion for the Chinese and AAPI community and will work hard to ensure our transit system is operated equitably and safely,” said Mayor London Breed in her statement to announce the nomination. “Throughout her career in public service and as a longtime San Francisco resident, Gloria understands the importance of bridging government and community. We would be so fortunate to have her join the City’s effort to restore transit lines, revitalize our downtown, and keep San Francisco streets safe for everyone.”

Li is not new to the community. Since she worked at State Treasurer Ma's office almost a decade ago, Li has established connections with the community.

Hong Kong-born Li speaks Cantonese and Mandarin in addition to the English language. She first came to the country for college, but moved back to China and Hong Kong for work after graduation. Li attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Leadership and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.

While working in Beijing, Li met her future husband who is a Bay Area native and worked as a financial analyst there. Li moved to San Francisco to join her husband ten years ago.

Over 30% of San Francisco residents are of Chinese and Asian descent. Over 40% of the San Francisco public transit riders are Asians. Li is ready to serve as the only Asian member at the SFMTA Board. “I aim to bring close to a decade of experience working in government and community to advocate for San Franciscans and improve our transit systems,” said Li.

“As an immigrant, a woman of color, and a mother of a young child, I hope to ensure that everyone feels safe and welcomed. There is no greater honor than to serve the City I call home and I'm eager to get to work,” Li said.

Once she is approved by the Board of Supervisors to serve on the SFMTA Board of Directors, public safety is one of Li's top priorities.

Li is also a public transit rider. "Pre-pandemic and when I worked at Civic Center, I took BART and Muni to the office, but I had a few experiences where I was harassed on the platform or on the train and that scared me a bit. I really hope to make our transit system safe and welcoming for everyone, especially for our women, children and seniors, so we can motivate them to use it more," Li said.

It was just announced that Central Subway Project would be open for the public on November 19. Li looks forward to the historic moment to welcome the first groups of passengers traveling between Chinatown and SOMA, Bayview as well as Visitacion Valley.