President

North Beach became my home in 2002. What a gift it is to be able to live here. I moved to the City (Miraloma Park) in 1978 and I’m thankful every day that I eventually landed here.

I studied journalism and media production at Cal Poly SLO then moved to the Bay and graduated from San Jose State. USF’s MBA program in Nonprofit Administration got my attention 20 years ago and I completed the coursework for that degree. Media production is still a sideline and I make the podcast “North Beach Now” available on all podcast platforms.

In 2021 I retired from my City IT project manager position, wrapping up 43 years in IT which took me around the U.S., Japan and India. Now I’ve got my music production line going – solo and with my jazz band of 33 years, Echo Beach. I’m a percussionist. In the ‘80s I was drumming in bands at Mabuhay Gardens on Broadway. One thing leads to another in North Beach.

The Percussive Arts Society is another nonprofit I work for, where I lead marketing for their Diversity Alliance. From 2006 to 2017 I worked at SF’s Conard House as a consultant, board member and chair.

My wife Sharon Saffel leads operations for the online marketplace Chairish.com. We have two cats or they have us I’m not sure.

I invite you to participate as much as you can in North Beach Neighbors activities to help make our neighborhood safer, more beautiful, and culturally strong.

Vice-President

I grew up in the Gateway, which is where I live now. I consider North Beach my neighborhood and greatly enjoy my proximity. I was a child on the bar stools of Washbag/Mooses. I was an avid penny pitcher. I volunteer at community events.

I went to college at Humboldt State, Sacramento State and received my advanced degree at Northeastern University in Boston where I lived from 2002-2008. I have an educational background in Criminal Justice, Psychology, Government/Political science and Paralegal studies.

In 2008 I returned to San Francisco. I am an active member of the Junior League of San Francisco and I have served in membership roles as well as on the Nominating Committee. I am currently the Chair-elect for nominating.

I work in SOMA at an aerospace company in HR. I am a Giants season ticket holder, a member of Broadway SF, and trained at SF Ballet as a child and continue to enjoy the ballet. You will often find me at OJ’s, Bella Cora, Sweeties, Pier 23, and Perry’s.

Treasurer

Peter is a first generation Chinese American who grew up in Australia before moving to the U.S. where he taught Contracts, Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence for many years before retiring.  He has lived in North Beach for over 20 years and still enjoys exploring Chinatown and cooking.

Director & Past President

I came to San Francisco decades ago as a young professional seeking the promise that a big city could offer a budding architect. What I discovered was so much more than I could imagine. This didn't feel like a big city at all. I felt connected...a strong sense of community...an understanding why so many left their hearts in San Francisco.

The City has had its challenges. The dot-com boom changed the way we do business and transformed the landscape. Exacerbated by a worldwide pandemic, brick and mortar businesses continue to fold in vast numbers and the cost of living in the city has driven so many to leave broken-hearted. I looked at my young children and asked myself, what kind of city will be left for them?

North Beach Neighbors has been the conduit for me and a wonderful diverse group of people to make the City a better place, starting with our charming neighborhood. I've had the stellar opportunity to serve and represent our community on the Northern Advisory Committee of the Port of San Francisco and the Central Station Community Police Advisory Board. As the chairperson of NBN's Planning and Zoning Committee I have had the great pleasure to contribute to how the neighborhood develops. I'm particularly proud of representing our community in the development of 88 Broadway to bring to North Beach 125 affordable family apartments and 53 affordable apartments for seniors; helping to protect some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable citizens from displacement.

Outside of community work and managing my architectural practice, Kanter Architects, I enjoy playing with my kids, the great outdoors, and keeping fit with yoga and bike rides along the waterfront. As a thespian I've played many roles, but through my greatest role as a father I've come to understand that it takes a village and through building community we can improve the quality of life in San Francisco. Let's revitalize the backbone of our community, save our small businesses and take on our present-day challenges while thinking ahead for future generations of our beloved North Beach village. Please join us!

Secretary

Laura Mancuso is a Bay Area native who moved to North Beach to keep close to the Italian culture she fell in love with during a year abroad. Twenty five years later she's still here, raising up her kids on bocce ball and vanilla steamed milk from Caffe Trieste. Those kids and her charming (read: small) flat resulted in her keen interest in the neighborhood’s open spaces.

What began as a few volunteer days at Families for North Beach Playgrounds events blossomed into an active role coordinating those events with another North Beach parent and working with Friends of Joe DiMaggio Playground before and during the park’s renovation. In addition to organizing community volunteer days at our neighborhood parks, Laura serves as co-coordinator of the community garden at Michelangelo Playground.

Past President & Planning & Zoning Chair

Danny is thrilled to have the opportunity to improve the neighborhood he is lucky to call home. He is passionate about opening up the mechanics of how the city works to regular everyday folks and empowering them to make a change in their own communities.

In his time with North Beach Neighbors, Danny led the effort to start the North Beach Farmers Market, now one of only two independently run markets in the city. He also started the Adopt-A-Street program in North Beach, bringing out dozens of volunteers for regular street cleanups. He is most passionate about improving the streetscape experience in North Beach to help small businesses thrive and pedestrians and bicyclists alike feel safer. As someone who came to the city to chase his dreams, he wants to make sure our city is always an open place that welcomes new neighbors. 

Danny loves to travel but is always happy to come back home to the cool gray city of love.

Chair, Safety, Small Business and Nominating Committee Chairs

Over thirty years of business and strategic partnership experience. Trish has worked in hotels, both domestic and abroad in the areas of human resources, operations service, training and food and beverage. She sold her partnership in Original Joe;s which she opened twelve years ago. Trish is the President of the Advisory Board of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies Program at City College of San Francisco and formerly Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi. Trish also sits on the Board of CPAB (Community Police Advisory Board) for Central Station as well as the Piazza St. Francis of Assisi. Trish is a native San Franciscan and committed to serving the needs of North Beach and the City of San Francisco.

Historian, Parliamentarian, Chair of the Rules and Bylaws committee

I graduated from Cornell University with a concentration in economics, sculpture and law. After graduation, I traveled the world for a year. On my return to the States, I spent several months crossing the country in my van determined to find the perfect place to lay down roots. When I found San Francisco, I found perfection. When I found North Beach, I found Shangri-La, but there was one small catch; I had to live on the streets until I was able to find someone foolish enough to rent to a guy with no job and living out of his van near the corner of Grant and Lombard.

After a lot of hard work, I was able to buy and renovate my run down earthquake damaged home in beautiful perfect North Beach near the same intersection of my former van home. Then a few years later, I married and started a family at the same location. Our children are true North Beach kids, and they are proud “Dons” of the University of San Francisco. My wife is a native of SF and loves her job working at the the much beloved Biordi Imports on Columbus Ave.

I’ve been a member of North Beach Neighbors almost from the time I arrived in the neighborhood and have been continuously serving on its board since 2002. I have served as the NBN President between 2007 to 2009, Ex-Officio between 2009 to 2010 and Vice President in 2021. Currently, I am the organization’s Historian, Parliamentarian, Chair of the Rules and Bylaws committee, and an acting member of the nominating committee. In years past, I have been the chair of Parks, Membership, Events, Planning and Zoning, and Nominating committees.

I am the author of several NBN bylaw provisions, P&Z mission statement and rules, and the email voting protocols. Additionally, I created the “standing” Rules and Bylaws committee, Planning and Zoning committee, and the Parks committee.

Gavin Newsom appointed me to the City’s Budget Advisory Committee in 2007. I also served on the San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council (now the SF Parks Alliance) from 2004 to 2007. I created the D3 Parks Team and served as its chair from 2004 to 2008.

Politically, I have managed numerous candidates for supervisor and organized several supervisory and mayoral debates. I have been continuously involved in politics and non-profit boards since I was in college serving briefly as college vice-president and working for my district congressman.

My passion is adventure travel and fine arts. I have biked and hiked across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. I love to design, sculpt, paint, play guitar, sing, and write.

Over the last couple decades, it has been an honor to help keep North Beach perfect and to help build North Beach Neighbors into one of San Francisco’s greatest neighborhood groups.

Complete Streets Chair

Tony Wessling has been a resident of North Beach since 1994. He and his wife, Michele, live with their three children on Mason Street. He has been engaged in urban livability issues for several decades, acting as a citizen advisor on such major projects as the new North Beach Branch Library, the redesign of Joe DiMaggio Playground and Park, the redevelopment of Mission Bay, the South of Market Transportation Plan, and the revitalization of the Port of San Francisco. Tony is a member of Friends of the North Beach Library, Friends of Joe DiMaggio, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and the California Bicycle Coalition, and a past member of SPUR and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. In his professional life, he is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Chromium, a strategic branding consultancy with offices nationwide, and is also the Founding Director of Radian Gallery in SoMa. In his spare time, he grows and produces extra virgin olive oil in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is sold under the label Olio Umberto. 

Director

I fell in love with North Beach 20 years ago and decided to move into the city just to live there. After the birth of my son I shifted my life to live, work and school and socialize locally in this lovely neighborhood.

I opened up a much-needed pregnancy and parenting community education center and boutique by the name of Carmel Blue. My mission was to create a local community of new parents and to help them thrive and encourage them to stay in our neighborhood, otherwise not known for being family friendly. The lack of a generation of young children was apparent.

While volunteering as a birthing coach and prenatal Yoga specialist at the SF General hospital Labor & Delivery dept, I learned that an essential ingredient of positive parenting experiences is an educated supportive community. In the 10 years since CB’s doors opened, I had served over 6000 new parents and I am proud to say I got to meet almost every baby born into our district.

Prior to diving into community work, I worked as a member of the Design and Product development teams at Levi Strauss & Co and at The Pottery Barn, as well as running my own business in Costume and Jewelry. The 15 years spent working with product design and development, had earned me vast knowledge and appreciation of design, efficiency and hardwork.

Today, in recognition of how challenging owning a small business can be, I am focusing my efforts and skills working as a consultant for the city of SF, directly supporting small businesses in SF to improve their Merchandising and Marketing, to draw in more customers and help them sustain and succeed.

Hello North Beach neighbors, my name is Yuka Ioroi. My husband Chef Kris Toliao and I moved our restaurant Cassava, a French-Californian bistro, from Outer Richmond to the corner of Columbus Ave and Vallejo St in October 2022. I am a small business and equitable restaurant operation advocate, a semi-finalist for James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur Award 2023 for our advocacy for a safer, more inclusive and fair restaurant work environment.

I also serve on the board of Golden Gate Restaurant Association and North Beach Business Association, and am one of the founders of Balboa Village Merchants Association in Outer Richmond, founded in 2016. I'm a strong believer in "it takes a village" and always looking to work with like minded passionate people for small businesses.

I'm a Japanese expat who moved to Los Angeles in 1995. I met my husband, originally born in San Francisco and raised in the Philippines and Los Angeles, working at a restaurant in the Los Feliz neighborhood in LA in 2006. We moved to San Francisco in 2008 to pursue our dream of having our own restaurant, and opened Cassava in 2012. Actually, our current location at 401 Columbus Ave is our very first San Francisco restaurant we ever dined together back in 2007, and here we are 15 years later it's ours! So North Beach has been something very special to both of us, and we are so grateful to be here and to have received the warm neighborhood welcome and support.

I'm so excited to serve on the board and to start working for this truly special gem of the neighborhood.