FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, 415-554-6131

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MAYOR LONDON BREED NOMINATES LT. DAVE FALZON TO ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION AND MARTHA KNUTZEN TO COMMISSION ON ADULT AGING

San Francisco, CA—Mayor London N. Breed today nominated Lt. Dave Falzon to serve on the Entertainment Commission and Martha Knutzen to serve on the Aging and Adult Services Commission. Both individuals have an extensive history of public service at the local level and direct experience with their respective commissions.

“I am proud to nominate Lt. Dave Falzon to the Entertainment Commission and Martha Knutzen to the Aging and Adult Services Commission,” said Mayor Breed. “Both have the qualifications, experience, and strong local ties to represent our diverse communities as they work to strengthen our entertainment industry and ensure our seniors age with dignity.”

Lt. Dave Falzon

Lt. Dave Falzon currently serves as the Officer in Charge of the Crime Information Services Unit in the San Francisco Police Department. Previously, he served as the Officer in Charge of the Department’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Liaison Unit, which is responsible for the management of over 4,650 ABC licenses.

“It is an honor to be nominated by Mayor Breed to serve as an Entertainment Commissioner,” said Lt. Falzon. “I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners and lending my decades of experience in law enforcement, community outreach, and our local entertainment and nightlife industry.”

Established in 2002, the Entertainment Commission is a charter commission that is responsible for issuing entertainment permits. Since that time, it has become part of the General Services Agency, the City agency managed by the City Administrator. This nomination requires confirmation by the Board of Supervisors.

Lt. Falzon has nearly 27 years of police experience and 10 years in the private sector as the Vice President General Manager of an equipment rental company. He holds a B.A. in Management/Leadership from St. Mary’s College.

Martha Knutzen

Martha Knutzen is a longtime community advocate with over 40 years of experience in San Francisco public service and advocacy. She served on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission from 1996-2004, where she advocated for policies to support the LGBT community. Her efforts focused on issues facing those who experience multiple forms of discrimination, including age, gender, gender identity, appearance, and racial and/or ethnic status. She served as Co-Chair of a joint hearing with the Aging and Adult Services Commission on “Aging in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Communities.” The hearing resulted in groundbreaking city and state legislative changes for the aging LGBT community. 

“I am deeply honored to be nominated by Mayor London Breed to the Aging and Adult Services Commission,” said Knutzen. “I have a lifelong commitment to public service and am thrilled to be able to serve San Francisco. I look forward to working with the staff of the Department of Aging and Adult Services to advocate for model programs that help seniors live a healthy, meaningful and productive life in San Francisco. “

The San Francisco Aging and Adult Services Commission is a charter commission of the City and County of San Francisco that provides oversight over the Department of Aging and Adult Services. The Commission's purpose is to formulate, evaluate, and approve goals, objectives, plans, and programs and to set policies consistent with the overall objectives of the City and County that are established by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. The nomination is subject to disapproval by the Board of Supervisors.

Knutzen currently serves on the Board of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. As Co-Chair in 2012-2013, she continued her advocacy in support of the issues facing LGBT people as they struggle to live in San Francisco. In 2016, she advocated for the passage of the Dignity Fund, a ballot initiative that set baseline standards for funding of enhanced supportive services for San Francisco’s older adult population.

Knutzen is a member of the California State Bar and she retired from her career in legal technology in 2015. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Scripps College, an M.A. in Political Science from San Francisco State University, and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco. Knutzen was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and is married to her partner of 32 years, Fran Kipnis. They live in the Civic Center area of San Francisco.

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