Meet Lanier
I was lucky to have lived in 6 countries by the time I was 18 because my father worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. From field trips to the great pyramids of Egypt to Reggae concerts in Jamaica, I was immersed in a range of geographies, cultures and religions. From the first time I set foot in San Francisco, 23 years ago, I felt a deep connection to the city because of its openness and diversity. Because I studied Mandarin in school and lived in China as a young adult, it was a priority for me to raise bilingual kids. Luckily, there’s no better city in the U.S. than San Francisco to teach your children in to learn Chinese and to appreciate Asian culture.
When I was 28, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and there was a period of time in graduate school where it was difficult to get my health insurance to cover my medicine. This experience was extremely stressful and made me empathize deeply with the millions of Americans who are under-insured or uninsured for healthcare. Since graduating from business school, I have devoted my career to working for health systems with a mission to provide high quality and affordable healthcare.
On the Issues
Education, Mental Health and Healthcare
Education, Mental Health and Healthcare
Education, Mental Health and Healthcare
I organized friends to march with me and my children to protest SFUSD school closures. SFUSD schools were closed long after surrounding public school districts had re-opened. We are still paying the price for school closures with high rates of teen depression and anxiety. I am on the board of Huckleberry Youth Programs, a nonprofit committed to providing counseling to teens in San Francisco.
Gun Violence
Education, Mental Health and Healthcare
Education, Mental Health and Healthcare
I have lobbied in Sacramento for better gun laws with Moms Demand Action. I have done outreach to educate schools about gun safety and red flag laws. While California has one of the lowest rates of death by gun violence, there’s still work to do to reduce gun violence, including gun-related suicides.
Democratic Party
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
I’m in my second term as an elected delegate to the California state Democratic Party. I’m also on the board of the United Democratic Club.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
We must work toward a criminal justice system that is fair and effective. It is all too common in San Francisco for residents to have their cars stolen and for store owners to have their merchandise shoplifted. For democracy to thrive, we can't accept lawlessness as the norm. We also can't accept poverty, mass incarceration and high recidivism as the norm. I volunteer in San Quentin's rehabilitation program by playing tennis with incarcerated men.