Joel Engardio

Supervisor Joel Engardio believes San Francisco’s best days are ahead — if we are willing to address today’s problems with equal doses of innovation and common sense.

He is focused on getting the basics right: safer streets, better schools, more housing, and vibrant small businesses. He believes these are the foundations for a healthy city.

Supervisor Engardio represents District 4, which is best known as the Sunset. It has about 80,000 residents living west of 19th Avenue between Golden Gate Park and Lake Merced.

Supervisor Engardio moved to San Francisco in 1998 to take a job as a journalist. He wanted to advocate for people who don’t feel heard. He believes San Franciscans deserve an innovative city government that is fiscally responsible, free from corruption, and fully transparent.

Supervisor Engardio has won numerous journalism awards. He has worked for tech startups, public relations firms, and nonprofits, including Out & Equal and the American Civil Liberties Union. He produced and directed an award-winning PBS documentary focused on First Amendment rights. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Supervisor Engardio was raised by a single mom who cleaned houses for a living in Saginaw, Michigan. She didn’t have much money or education but taught her son how to get things done.

Supervisor Engardio’s husband, Lionel Hsu, was born in Taiwan. He grew up in poverty under Martial Law and became a software engineer in Silicon Valley. They have lived in their home near Stern Grove since 2014 and want to make sure the next generation has access to the San Francisco dream.

Supervisor Engardio served on the boards of two of San Francisco’s largest political organizations: the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club and the United Democratic Club. He also served as a member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.

Supervisor Engardio hosts the popular “SF Politics 101” presentation each month, educating residents about how they can be participants in creating our best San Francisco.