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President
Vacant

Vice-President/Acting President
Vacant

Secretary
Jim Laufenberg

Treasurer
Ralph Hibbs
email

Board Members
Gregory Carey
Nick Engel
Helen McClure
Paul Miller
Kent Mirkhani
Desmond Morgan
Ben Neidhardt
Pat Sahagun
Leon Shannon
Brendan Smith

About Our Board Members

Our volunteer Board of Directors is composed of the following stakeholders:

Gregory Carey
“Greggy” grew up in South Dakota. In 1978 he was one of the founders of the first S.Dak. queer organization, the Sioux Empire Gay and Lesbian Coalition (SEGLC) in Sioux Falls. In 1983, he led the creation of the Eastern Dakota AIDS Network, which included representatives from the Red Cross, the VA Hospital, Sioux Falls Public Schools and the head of the Roman Catholic parochial schools.

Greg and his life-partner Rahn, whom he met in 1977, moved to the Bay Area in 1991. In 2007 he joined the Castro Community on Patrol (CCOP) and two years later became the Chief of Patrol. In 2012 he was sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as “Saint Watchful Eyes of the Castro Beat.” Greg is on the board of directors for the Castro Community on Patrol and is also involved with NERT, Resilient Diamond Heights (RDH), the Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN), Castro Cares and the LGBTQ+/SFPD Chief’s Forum.

Nick Engel
Nick is a native San Franciscan and a lifetime jeweler who specializes in custom creations for his clients. He is committed to improving the beauty and engaging the community of the Castro district.

Ralph Hibbs has been a San Francisco resident for 30 years living most of that time in the Castro. His professional background is in technology marketing having worked for many iconic (and some long forgotten) names in the technology industry. His goal is to improve the vitality while retaining the iconic character of the Castro for residents, owners and tourists.

Jim Laufenberg has been a property owner and resident in the area since 1990 and works within the district at Coldwell Banker.

Helen Zorzakis McClure is a property owner in the district whose family has lived and worked in the Castro (Quality Shoe Repair) for more than 70 years. Helen was born and raised in the Castro having received her elementary education in the neighborhood and then went on to San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University. She has worked in higher education for the past 35 years as an adjunct professor. She is an experienced and active volunteer in the non-profit sector of education and directs her efforts to several initiatives working to close the achievement gap. Her goal is to improve the experience of living, visiting and working in the district as well as maintaining the integrity and the value that the small property owner contributes.

Desmond Morgan is the Chief Operating Officer at Grassy Castro dba Eureka Sky. Prior to joining Grassy Castro, Desmond Morgan spent over 18 years in the
pharmaceutical industry. He spent the majority of his time in diabetes and kidney
diseases where he gained a great understanding of the Endocannabinoid
system. His time was spent interacting with key thought leaders in Diabetes and
Nephrology with major teaching hospitals such as Stanford Medical Center, UCSF
Medical Center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and San Francisco General Hospital. Desmond has a Master’s Degree in Asia Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Boise State University. He is also a board member of the Castro Merchants.

Pat Sahagun is a native San Franciscan who is also a Castro small business owner of 35 plus years.

Leon Shannon Owner, Skin on Market. Having been born in the Midwest and raised in the Bay Area, Leon has enjoyed a sense of community. Over the last several years he’s had the privilege of being included in the Castro community and looks forward to being a part of its future. Leon is also a board member of the Castro Merchants.

 

 

Have questions? Interested in becoming a board member?

If you are interested in joining the Castro CBD board of directors, you can email your interest to [email protected].

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