Approved as to Form and Legality
City Attorney’s Office
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. C.M.S.
RESOLUTION HONORING SARA BEDFORD FOR OVER TWENTY
NINE YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE CITY OF OAKLAND
AND CONGRATULATING HER UPON HER RETIREMENT
WHEREAS, Ms. Bedford received her bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology from Yale University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School at UC Berkeley. After receiving her master’s degree, she joined the City of Oakland in 1991 and worked her way up through the newly formed Human Services Department as a management analyst, then promoted to the policy and planning manager, and finally as the Director of the Human Services Department beginning in 2013; and
WHEREAS, prior to joining the City, Ms. Bedford worked for the United Indian Nations and Human Services Research institute in Cambridge, MA; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure, Ms. Bedford more than doubled the Department’s budget and expanded grant resources to support the Oakland community; and
WHEREAS, in her tenure at HSD , promoted to serve as the core budget and administrative staff for the Life Enrichment Agency and in this role led the roll out of the first years of the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bedford Secured the City’s first federal reentry grant and subsequently led City’s Violence Prevention initiative work for 10 years gaining national recognition for Oakland’s cutting edge programs and u ltimately evolving into the Department of Violence Prevention; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bedford advocated for and purchased two buildings to support permanent housing outcomes for unhoused Oaklanders and oversaw the doubling of shelter options and the more than threefold increase in homeless services funding; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bedford recently secured critical grants including $10 million to build trauma informed systems with focus on racial equity and self-care, federal mental health resilience grant, and most recently, a $3 million state grant for early Head Start enhancements; and
2 WHEREAS, Ms. Bedford served on the Youth Venture Joint Powers Authority, the Everyone Home Leadership Board, Alameda County All In Board, Workforce Investment Board, OUSD Community Schools Advisory, and Alameda County/ Oakland Boys and Men of Color Alliance; and
WHEREAS, her every action demonstrated her deep commitment to the work, making herself available at all hours in service to the City; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the City of Oakland wishes to thank and honor Sara Bedford for her leadership and commitment to the City of Oakland as well as her enduring commitment to investing in our greatest community asset -- the families of this community -- and the City of Oakland wishes Ms. Bedford success in all future endeavors.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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