In October, an uncontested slate of five candidates was unanimously approved by Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA) members to serve on the group’s board of directors. Bruce Kin Huie, an account director at the marketing firm, Pedowitz Group, will serve his second two-year term as president. He’ll be joined by fellow returning incumbents Jared Doumani, DNA’s treasurer, and Vanessa Aquino, its secretary and membership coordinator.
Doumani, a Tennessee Street resident, owned the house-painting business Persnickety Painters for 14 years, and manages a real estate partnership. Aquino is an artist and arts promoter who has organized the annual Dogpatch Block Party, most recently last May.
Susan Eslick – who serves as treasurer for the Dogpatch & NW Potrero Hill Green Benefit District – was elected vice president. Heidi Dunkelgod, a designer and lecturer at San Francisco State University, was chosen as member-at-large. Exiting amicably are former board members Celia Lawren and Mc Allen.
Through meetings and negotiations, the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association advocates for local construction and improvement projects that comport with the community’s collectively articulated needs. By its own description, it was “established to monitor issues relevant to the neighborhood and to encourage thoughtful and visionary urban planning that respects, celebrates, and preserves the character, integrity, and quality of life of the area as it evolves for the 21st Century.”
The association meets on the second Tuesday of each odd-numbered month. Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in Dogpatch and costs $25 annually for an individual. Earlier this fall, DNA lent its support to the building of a new Navigation Center on 25th Street.
According to Huie, the best part of serving as DNA president is that “I get to meet a lot of my neighbors.”
Aquino added, “I love my community. I want the best for everyone. I’m lucky to be surrounded among great neighbors who are willing to make a difference.”
