Candidate for
Member; California State Assembly; District 13

San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno Biography

Mark Leno has been a member of the Board of Supervisors since 1998. He now serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and is the Supervisor for District 8, which includes Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Twin Peaks and Corona Heights.

A native of Wisconsin, Leno attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, then went on to become valedictorian of his graduating class at the American College of Jerusalem, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree. Leno also spent two years in Rabbinical Studies at Hebrew Union in New York.

Long before becoming Supervisor, Leno was a community and business leader in San Francisco. Leno is the owner of Budget Signs, Inc., a small 8 employee business located in the Mid-Market neighborhood. Leno founded Budget Signs in 1978 and was later joined by his life partner, Douglas Jackson. Together the two entrepreneurs steadily grew their sign business until Jackson passed away from complications relating to AIDS/HIV in 1990. This deep loss would not deter Leno. Instead, he redoubled his efforts in community service.

Leno has served on the boards of many local and national organizations including the LGBT Community Center Project, Haight Ashbury Community Services, the American Jewish Congress, Mobilization Against AIDS, and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Leno has also received numerous awards including: the 1995 Small Business Owner of the Year award from the Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club; the 1995 Hormel Community Service Award from the Human Rights Campaign; and the James R. Sylla Award from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of his capacity as an elected official, Leno has been a tireless supporter of nonprofit organizations in San Francisco, frequently appearing to show support at events and lending a hand wherever possible. He was a statewide spokesman for the No on Prop 22 Campaign (the Knight Initiative) and was a Delegate to the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles in August 2000.