Supervisors recommend three reappointments to Small Business Commission; vice chair excused

Chair Supervisor Hillary Ronan moved and the Rules Committee voted to recommend the reappointment of three members to the Small Business Commission at its January meeting. Supervisors Safa Yi and Hillary Ronan voted aye; Vice Chair Walton was excused. The motion passed without objection.

The reappointments name Miriam Zounis to Seat 1 (term previously noted through 01/06/2026), Dimitri Terry Cornett to Seat 2 (term noted through 01/06/2028), and William Ortiz Cartagena to Seat 3 (term noted through 01/06/2028). The clerk said items acted on at the meeting are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda in February 2024.

Why it matters: The Small Business Commission advises the city on policies affecting merchants, vendors and small operators. Commissioners and applicants emphasized priorities including supporting EBT-accepting licensed businesses, improving food access, streamlining fees and regulations, expanding access to capital, and incubating street vendors into stable storefronts.

Miriam Zounis, seeking reappointment to Seat 1, described her four years on the commission during the COVID recovery and said she would prioritize food access and support for EBT-accepting licensed businesses, plus infrastructure and coordination for workers, vendors and contractors. Supervisor Safa Yi praised Zounis’s ties to immigrant-owned and long-standing neighborhood businesses and noted her collaborations with the Immigrant Rights Commission.

Applicant Dimitri Terry Cornett, owner of WORK Salon in the Mission District and an applicant for Seat 2, outlined priorities of ground-level outreach to merchants, identifying gaps in city services, and developing creative, mixed-use approaches to help businesses thrive. In response to questions from a supervisor, Cornett said funding and clearer access to capital are among the biggest challenges small businesses face.

Chair Ronan described Commissioner William Ortiz Cartagena (absent due to illness) as deeply engaged with immigrant communities and small-business incubation, citing his work on a Mission Street storefront called La Placita/El Tiangui that provides permanent or incubator space for street vendors moving toward storefront operations. Supervisor Yi noted Ortiz Cartagena’s citywide presence and involvement with legacy-business efforts, small-business loans and street-vending issues.

The clerk opened the floor for public comment; no members of the public signed up to speak. Chair Ronan moved to recommend the three reappointments, the clerk recorded the ayes and the excused absence, and the motion carried. The committee completed its agenda and adjourned.