Meet the Commissioners

George Lau  
 
Appointed to the Commission by Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2005, and re-appointed in 2009, Mr. Lau served as President of the Fire Commission in 2008 and 2012, and Vice President of the Fire Commission in 2011.  Mr. Lau was born and raised in Hong Kong. He is an accountant by profession and worked for the City and County of San Francisco with different fiscal responsibilities for over twenty years. Mr. Lau retired from his position as accounting manager with the Department of Public Health in June of 2010.

Mr. Lau’s past and current community and civic activities include: member, Chinatown Neighborhood Center’s Board of Directors; executive member, Chinese Historical Society of America’s Board of Directors; and member, Mayor (Willie Brown)’s Advisory Council on Child Care. Mr. Lau has always been a strong advocate of political education and participation within the Chinese community. He has also been very active as an executive officer of Local 21, a San Francisco and Bay Area labor union for municipal employees. 

Michael Hardeman 
 
Appointed to the Fire Commission by Mayor Gavin Newsom on August 3, 2010, and reappointed by Mayor Edwin M. Lee on March 12, 2012, Michael Hardeman, a native son was first appointed to the Human Rights Commission by Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and subsequently appointed by Mayor Frank Jordan to the Public Utilities Commission and thereafter to the Port Commission, where he served as President for four of his 16 years. Mr. Hardeman was elected Vice President of the Fire Commission in 2012 and currently serves as the newly-elected President of the Fire Commission.

Mr. Hardeman is currently a Union Representative for Sign Display Local Union 510 (District Council; 36) and has
served in that capacity since 1977. Prior to being elected a Union Representative he was a journeyman pictorial
artist. Mr. Hardeman has served on the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Labor Council for 29 years, the
Angel Island Immigration Station Board, the Bay Area Economic Institute Board, the Consumer Federation of
California Policy Board, and as a Trustee (Chairman and Secretary) for two Health & Welfare Pension Plans.
Mr. Hardeman is a married father of three and has two grandchildren.
 

Stephen Nakajo 
 
Appointed in 1996 by Mayor Willie Brown, Mr. Nakajo served as President of the Commission from 2000 to 2004 and again in 2010.  Mr. Nakajo was Vice President since 2004, was reappointed in 2004 and in 2008 by Mayor Gavin Newsom, and was reappointed by Mayor Edwin M. Lee on March 12, 2012.  Mr. Nakajo currently serves as the newly-elected Vice President of the Fire Comission. 

Mr. Nakajo is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Kimochi, Inc., which serves the needs of the Japanese American Senior Community.  Mr. Nakajo is a member of the State Library Review, Japantown Task Force and is a Board member of the Japan Center Parking Corporation. He has been awarded the KGO TV 7 Profiles in Excellence Award and is a KQED/Union Bank of California Asian American Heritage Month Honoree. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and a Masters in Social Welfare from San Francisco State University. 
 

Andrea Evans 
 
Appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2008, and reappointed by Mayor Edwin M. Lee on March 12, 2012, Ms. Evans served as President of the Commission in 2011.

Ms. Evans is a lawyer who litigated a broad range of matters for ten years before leaving private law practice to work with her husband at CSL Strategies, LLC (a strategic communications firm). Ms. Evans is also co-founder of The Savvy Source for Parents, an online guide to preschools across the country.

Ms. Evans served on the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women from 2004 to 2008, and still serves as the Women's Commission designee on the City's Family Violence Council. Ms. Evans has also done a wide range of pro bono legal matters, including asylum petitions, representing victims of domestic violence, and has worked on behalf of many other human rights and civil rights causes. Ms. Evans is an active supporter of the KIPP Charter schools and served as Chairperson of the Kipp Bayview Academy. Ms. Evans is married to Chris Lehane and has two young children, Dominic and Quincy.