OAKLAND, CA – last week, in a unanimous vote, Councilmember At Large Rebecca Kaplan was elected Oakland City Council President. Kaplan is the first openly LGBT+ Council President in Oakland’s history.
The new Oakland City Council President opened her statements with 1 Kings 3:9 “Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?” She also thanked Vice Mayor Larry Reid for his leadership and for his support and looks forward to a smooth transition and his continued mentorship. Also confirmed in unanimous votes, Councilmember Larry Reid was named Vice Mayor and Councilmember Dan Kalb was named President Pro Tempore.
Said Kaplan, “I am honored to serve the people of Oakland as Council President. I thank my colleagues for their confidence in my leadership and for the opportunity to serve Oakland. We have many challenges. We must acknowledge injustice and prejudice exist and we need leaders to assure we work together to move our city forward. I believe in giving all Councilmembers the opportunity to affect change, and all council members will have an opportunity to chair a committee I look forward to working together in coalition with community to advance Oakland’s vital needs.”
Committee assignments are as follows:
Finance and Management
Chairperson: Lynette McElhaney
Members: Sheng Thao, Nikki Bas, Dan Kalb
Public Works
Chairperson: Dan Kalb
Members: Larry Reid, Sheng Thao, Noel Gallo
Community and Economic Development
Chairperson: Larry Reid
Members: Nikki Bas, Loren Taylor, Noel Gallo
Life Enrichment
Chairperson: Loren Taylor
Members: Lynette McElhaney, Rebecca Kaplan, Nikki Bas
Public Safety
Chairperson: Noel Gallo
Members: Rebecca Kaplan, Nikki Bas, Loren Taylor
Rules and Legislation Committee
Chairperson: Sheng Thao
Members: Rebecca Kaplan, Dan Kalb, Lynette McElhaney
City Port Liaison Committee
Chairperson: Rebecca Kaplan
Members: Nikki Bas, Sheng Thao, Noel Gallo
Education Partnership
Chairperson: Nikki Bas
Members: Dan Kalb, Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor