Human Relations Commission draws activists, health specialists, artists, gun rights advocates


Human Relations Commission draws activists, health specialists, artists, gun rights advocates

Two months ago County Supervisors unanimously agreed to revive the region’s long-defunded Human Relations Commission and a month later tasked the commission with defining the scope and mission of a new countywide Office of Equity and Racial Justice.

That office will likely play a role in directing millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, making the membership of the 31-person Human Relations commission even more important — especially as protests persist over police brutality and systemic racism.

Although 11 seats remain unfilled, San Diego County has at least 20 new commission members. They come from a variety backgrounds, ranging from longtime community activists and behavioral health specialists to artists and gun rights advocates.

Each San Diego County Supervisor nominates three members to the commission, including one who is supposed to be between the ages of 16 and 24.

Supervisor Greg Cox, who represents the South Bay, has had all three of his nominations confirmed: Daphyne Watson, Enrique Morones and Ryan Joseph Garcia.

Watson is Executive Director of Mental Health America of San Diego County, serves on two county behavioral health commissions and has worked on disparities in mental health care and foster care.

Morones founded and until as of last year was executive director of Border Angels, a non-profit that has fought more than 30 years to reduce fatalities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Joseph Garcia is Cox’s youth appointee to the commission. Garcia graduated from San Diego State University in May with a major in Social Science and previously worked on U.S. Rep. Mike Levin’s congressional campaign in 2018 as a paid canvasser. In his application he said, “As a Filipino-American who has grown up in a minority-majority environment, I relate with the current struggle of minorities for equality and advancement.”

Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who represents East County and eastern portions of the City of San Diego, had all three of her nominees confirmed: Kenya Taylor, Vincent Kattoula, and Austin Jones.

“Among my three appointees, there is a seasoned behavioral health specialist, a member of East County’s large Chaldean community and a college student who can offer the viewpoint of youth,” Jacob said.

Taylor, who serves on the Executive Committee of the local NAACP, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has worked in behavioral health in San Diego County for more than a decade.

Kattoula is a small business owner who worked for the county for five years in the Land Use Department and under the County Administrative Officer. A Chaldean, he is a founding member of the Middle Eastern Employee Resource Group.

“I believe applying this experience, utilizing my strong community relationships and lessons I’ve learned proudly growing up a first generation American will help build bridges not only with the Chaldean and middle eastern communities but throughout the region,” Kattoula said in his application.

Jones, Jacob’s youth nominee, is a freelance photographer and artist who has been setting up peaceful protests on criminal justice issues.

Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, who represents coastal San Diego, has had two appointees confirmed and is seeking someone to be her youth appointee. Her two confirmed appointees are Rev. Shane Harris and Regina Roberts.

Harris is a well known civil rights activist in San Diego County and founder of the People’s Alliance for Justice. He is a member of the county’s Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board and is involved in police brutality protests.

Roberts, a recently retired engineer, is president of the San Diego chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, which advocates for equal rights for lesbian and gay GOP members. Roberts also is in leadership in a Kiwanis Club and the San Diego County Gun Owners Advisory Board.

“I am compassionate for my fellow humans and believe they all deserve to be treated as the humans they are,” said Roberts in her application.

Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who represents much of the city of San Diego, has three appointees confirmed: Nicole Murray-Ramirez, Mohamed Taha Hassane, and Warsan Artan.

Murray-Ramirez, a longtime advocate for San Diego County’s LGBTQ and Latino communities, previously served on the San Diego County AIDS Task Force, the city’s human relations commission and the Cesar Chavez Parade Committee. Murray-Ramirez has also served the last five mayors of the city of San Diego in an advisory role and currently serves on the Sheriff’s LGBTQ Advisory Council..

Hassane is an imam and longtime religious director of the Islamic Center of San Diego. He is a member of the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Board, Partnership in Advancement of New Americans, the Interfaith Shelter Network, and the National Conflict Resoultion Center.

Artan, Fletcher’s youth nominee, is an organizer with Youth Will, a youth empowerment nonprofit, and served on the Associated Students government at SDSU.

“I want to create a county community where every community feels included and listened to, where the voices of our beautifully diverse communities are valued and included,” she wrote in her application.

Supervisor Jim Desmond, who represents North County, has had three appointees approved: Gwen Sanders, Eleanor Evans and Angel Ortiz Salazar.

Sanders, a civil rights activist and longtime volunteer with the North County chapter of the NAACP, has served on several commissions for the City of Oceanside including the Community Relations Commission.

Evans is a member of the Oceanside Unified School District Board of Education, a former director of the North San Diego County LGBTQ+ Center and was a longtime educator at San Diego Community College and the San Diego Unified and Oceanside Unified School districts.

Salazar, Desmond’s youth appointee, is youth development case manager at Lifeline, a group that runs youth programs, including human trafficking and gang diversion, and is a member of the North County San Diego Gang Committee. He has degrees in Legal Studies and Politics from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Seven of the Human Relations Commission’s seats will be appointed by the commission itself. And certain community groups and agencies filled the other seats.

  • Kate Clark was appointed by the Jewish Family Service.
  • Caroline Dessert by the LGBT Community Center.
  • Rashid Essa by the International Rescue Committee.
  • Angela Elliott-Santos by the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association.
  • Ellen Nash by the San Diego Chapter of the Black Political Association of California.
  • Samuel Tsoi by the Union of Pan Asian Communities, Asian Business Association and San Diego API Coalition.

The District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, and the San Diego Rapid Response Network have yet to announce their appointees.

The commission is expected to hold its first meeting sometime later this month.




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