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Amourence Lee
Councilwoman & Former Mayor of the City of San Mateo
Amourence Lee is a community-building leader who has been in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors for 15 years. With a Master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor's in Cultural Studies from New School University, Lee has held executive roles like Executive Director at The Parents Club of Palo Alto & Menlo Park, Director of Development & Operations at The Latin American Integration Center, and Executive Director at San Francisco International Program. Additionally, Lee was a Junior Consultant at UNICEF and has held various campaign and community roles, like being a campaign manager for Noelia Corzo for San Mateo Foster City School Board, Community Director at Care.com, and City Council Member at City of San Mateo. Through her experience, Lee has become a passionate advocate for social impact and community building.
Highlights
We Write Our History... In 2019, I became the first Asian woman to serve on the San Mateo City Council. Despite incredible opposition and being outspent by special interest lobbies, we won the largest election in our history. Grassroots community power was key to my historic victory as the first Asian woman elected as mayor of San Mateo. This year we can make history again by electing Charles Hansen as the first Black man to serve on the San Mateo City Council.
These five years, we have celebrated momentous victories: raising $9.8 million to enhance critical services, saving 600 jobs and creating lifelines for businesses during the pandemic, building the largest affordable housing project, investing in sustainable infrastructure to protect us from flooding and sea level rise, safeguarding democratic systems through campaign finance and charter reforms, empowering youth representation, and raising the Pride flag at City Hall for the first time. However, our progress is under constant threat and we must stay committed to critical housing and infrastructure initiatives, bold climate action, and empowering new generations of leadership.
On #Juneteenth, Charles Hansen for San Mateo City Council declared his candidacy. With over two decades of nonprofit leadership, he has built successful YMCA and Boys and Girls Club programs nationwide. As Chief Program Officer at Peninsula Family Service, he is directly supporting our working families and seniors. Charles Hansen is a loving father, supportive husband, and servant leader who inspires progress and unity.
We need authentic community leaders in City Hall who understand us and will fight for us, not politicians clinging to power. We cannot allow the status quo to hinder true representation for our City and District 2. As we grapple with profound systemic inequalities, it is unacceptable that in 130 years, our City has never elected a Black man to the City Council. If not now, when?
We will write our history this November, embracing solidarity and true representation. Together we will win another historic victory for San Mateo, please join me in supporting Charles Hansen for San Mateo City Council in 2024.
Volunteer, donate, & share: www.charlesforsanmateo.com
Honoring Juneteenth in San Mateo: A Day of Reflection and Celebration! Listen to the latest episode on Beyond City Hall to discuss Juneteenth, the historic day marking the true end of African-American slavery in the United States, two and a half years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
In 2024, the City of San Mateo proudly declared Juneteenth an official City Holiday and worked with the Downtown San Mateo and The City of San Mateo African American Library Advisory Committee and San Francisco Foundation Koshland Fellows to organize a vibrant Juneteenth celebration in Downtown San Mateo, featuring:
- A powerful drum circle led by Onye Onyemaechi
- Praise dancers from Pilgrim Christian Church
- A reading of the children's story "Juneteenth Is"
- Honoring local Black leaders: Gloria Brown, Lisa Tealer, Mimi Page, and Charles Hansen
While we highlight the importance of Juneteenth as a day of liberation and reflection, we need to acknowledge and address San Mateo's historical and ongoing gaps in racial representation. Despite the city's 130-year history, we have yet to elect a Black man to a leadership position. There is crucial work ahead to achieve true representation and equity at all levels of government.
Enjoy the listen: https://lnkd.in/gGkbqGht
