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Sophie Maxwell was born in San Francisco
Born in San Francisco in a housing project at 18th and Missouri street.
Maxwell's mother, Enola Maxwell (1920 - 2003), was active in the civil rights movement, the founder and longtime director of the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, and was known as an ardent advocate for peace, civil rights, and children. -
Maxwell's only son, Rama, was diagnosed at age 24 with Hodgkin's disease, a type of cancer found most often in young people
The SF southeast neighborhoods is home to power plants, the Superfund cleanup site at the naval shipyard and other factories that threaten this ecology - is also plagued by a high incidence of breast cancer. "I knew when I moved there that this was not a healthy area," Maxwell says. "But I didn't get actively involved until it hit home." It was Maxwell's call to action when her only son, Rama, was diagnosed at age 24, with Hodgkin's disease, a type of cancer found most often in young people. -
Sophie Maxwell is elected to serve for the January 2001 to 2003 term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco native grew up surrounded by political activism. That spirit, along with her motherly intuition to make things better for her son and others in her neighborhood, helped get her elected. Prior to this, Maxwell was working as an electrician for Amtrak. Maxwell defeated San Francisco Planning Commissioner Linda Fadeke Richardson, who was supported by mayor Willie Brown. -
Sophie Maxwell served her first term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing southeast neighborhoods in San Francisco
Maxwell represented District 10, which includes Potrero Hill, Bayview Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Silver Terrace, Dogpatch, Little Hollywood, and the Portola districts. The area -- which is home to power plants, the Superfund cleanup site at the naval shipyard and other factories that threaten this ecology -- is also plagued by a high incidence of breast cancer. -
Sophie Maxwell is elected to serve for the January 2003 to 2007 term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
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Under the leadership of Supervisor Maxwell, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors established the Back Streets Business Advisory Board
Back Streets Businesses are generally defined as small to medium-size industrial or commercial businesses that create products or provide services in manufacturing, wholesale, commercial, logistics, construction, repairs, and food processing
The role of Back Streets Businesses in providing jobs, serving Main Street businesses and local residents, and in the larger city economy – and what the City of San Francisco can do to retain and expand them. -
Sophie Maxwell is elected to serve for the January 2007 to 2011 term
During her tenure, she worked for more equitable distribution of public resources, increasing economic development opportunities for all San Franciscans, and nurturing and empowering the city's most vulnerable residents. -
Along with many other activists, Maxwell was instrumental in the successful effort to close the Hunters Point power plant, one of the oldest and dirtiest in the state
Part of an ongoing deindustrialization of San Francisco, this PG&E plant had been one the Cityʻs biggest air polluters. Along with activists and neighborhood campaigning, Maxwell helped force its closure and demolition. Following completion of a series of new transmission projects and upgrades, PG&E closed the Hunters Point Power Plant completely. -
As a member of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, she was a driving force for accountability and transparency in local government, and for new business and economic development
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Sophie Maxwell was the Chairperson of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee, where she focused on sustaining and enhancing San Francisco's communities by investing in its residents
As a member of the County Transportation Authority and a Board member of Workforce Investment San Francisco, Commissioner Maxwell played an integral role in shaping San Francisco's workforce system. One of her goals was to support strong working partnerships involving businesses, educational institutions, community based organizations and City agencies. -
Maxwell was appointed by Mayor London Breed to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Commissioner Maxwell serves in Seat 2: Experience in ratepayer or consumer advocacy. Her current term to fulfill the unexpired portion of a four-year term ends 8/1/22. -
Sophie continues to advocate for environmental justice, clean energy, and children's health and educational programs.
