Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced the appointment of Jeff Sheehy as District 8 Supervisor, filling newly-elected State Senator Scott Wiener’s vacant seat on the Board of Supervisors.

Sheehy is a long-time HIV/AIDS activist and pioneer for LGBT equality who has dedicated his life to public and community service. As former President of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, as former Mayor Newsom’s advisor on HIV/AIDS, and as a victim advocate in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office before that, Jeff has been on the front lines fighting inequality and injustice for disenfranchised populations. Twenty years ago, Jeff helped create and defend San Francisco’s historic Equal Benefits Ordinance, making San Francisco the first city in the country to require employers with city contracts to offer equal benefits to their employees’ domestic partners. Similar measures were eventually passed by the State of California and municipalities around the country, and more than 4,000 companies have complied, providing desperately needed benefits to LGBT Americans across the country.

More recently, Jeff has led communications at the UCSF AIDS Research Institute since 2000, educating the public on the groundbreaking work of UCSF’s HIV researchers. Sheehy is also a founding member of the Steering Committee of San Francisco’s Getting to Zero Consortium aimed to make the City the first municipality to achieve the UNAIDS goals of zero new infections, zero HIV deaths and zero HIV stigma. Sheehy will be the first person openly living with HIV to serve on the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco history.

Sheehy is also a longtime Glen Park resident and neighborhood activist, where he lives with his husband Bill Berry and daughter Michelle, who attends San Francisco public schools.

“Jeff Sheehy has spent his entire life fighting for his community and for what he believes is right, and I know that as Supervisor, Jeff will be a proven fighter for the residents of his district, and for our entire City too,” said Mayor Lee. “As an activist, an advocate, a Dad with a daughter in public school and as a Glen Park neighbor, Jeff brings a unique background and practical experience to the job to meet the challenges of the district’s diverse neighborhoods and communities. Jeff is tested, mature, passionate, and pragmatic. He will be a champion and a tireless advocate for better transportation, common sense housing policies and public safety for the district and for the rights and hopes of the LGBT community across the City at a time when our progress and values are under dire threat from Washington. I’m proud to appoint him as Supervisor as I know he is the best choice to continue Scott Wiener’s legacy of constituent service for the district and policy leadership on the Board.”

“It’s an honor to have this opportunity to serve the people of my community and the diverse neighborhoods of District 8,” said Sheehy. “It is a privilege to follow Senator Wiener, and I hope to build on his legacy and his outstanding leadership on housing, transportation, and public safety.  With our immigrant communities and expanded healthcare access under direct assault, I also will fight to ensure that the City’s efforts to address disparities are not undermined and I will defend our San Francisco values so that our great City remains a beacon of hope across the nation.”

“Jeff Sheehy is an extraordinary leader and exactly what we need right now – a strong, decisive, and passionate voice for our shared progressive values, and someone who deeply understands the needs of our neighborhoods,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “I am delighted with Mayor Lee’s decision to appoint Jeff Sheehy to represent District 8 and build on our work. Jeff has my total support and confidence, and I will do whatever I can to support his success for the residents of District 8 and for San Francisco.”

Sheehy will be formally sworn-in as Supervisor on Sunday, January 8^th in an afternoon ceremony at City Hall and will participate in his first Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, January 9^th.  Supervisor District 8 includes many diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, including The Castro, Glen Park, Noe Valley, Diamond Heights, Twin Peaks, Midtown Terrace, Duboce Triangle, Buena Vista, Corona Heights, and parts of the Mission.