City Government

Donna Powers – She’s Back and She Wants to Help Fix Richmond’s City Council

Published

12 years ago

June 5, 2014

Former City Councilmember Donna Powers is considering a return to Richmond’s City Council. Powers first joined the local political fray in 1991 with a run for city council.

Community members remember Powers as someone who shook things up on the Richmond City Council in the 1990s. She developed a reputation as a councilmember who got things done when other council members and administration seemed mired in bureaucratic complications and political stalemate.

Now she is back and gearing up to take on the tumultuous problems that have taken over city hall.

Donna is a street-smart woman and one heck of a hard worker,” says retired Berkeley professor and businessman Bob Goshay, who has lived in Richmond since 1977 and has known Powers for more than 20 years.

Powers was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shortly after her father left for the war, Powers’ mother moved the family to Oakland, CA. Powers recalls that those were tough times; her parents got divorced and her mother changed jobs often to try her best to provide for everyone.

After graduating from high school, Powers found work at a bank in San Francisco and moved to Point Richmond where she met and married her husband. They raised a daughter here.

In the early 1990s, Powers became deeply involved in local politics when she found some shocking evidence of financial mismanagement and malfeasance in the budget.

She sued the Richmond City Council and took the case all the way to the Supreme Court of California (Powers v. City of Richmond), where she won.

She was then elected to office in 1991 and used the Powers decision to help put into place Richmond’s “sunshine” ordinance, which governs the city’s disclosure of its financial records to the public.

In 1993, Richmond suffered the fallout from a chemical spill emanating from the General Chemical plant in town. Powers saw an opportunity to take the reins and help Richmond recover to bring some good from a tragic occurrence.

She immediately organized an effort on the part of the city, Contra Costa County, and industry experts to put into place a first-of-its-kind chemical and disaster warning system. The system was considered so revolutionary at the time that Powers and her colleagues on the project received an award from the federal government for their work.

Another significant contribution Powers made was the creation of the Rosie the Riveter memorial site and the movement to get the City to fund the honoring of the women of Richmond that had worked in the Kaiser shipyards.

Powers convinced the National Park Service of the site’s historical merit and President Bill Clinton signed the certification for the Rosie the Riveter National Memorial and for other sites throughout Richmond just before he left office.

“She went from having nothing to work with, to having a full-fledged national park in place within five years,” recalls Phyllis Gould, a 92-year-old Richmond resident whom Powers involved in the project. “It was simply amazing.”

Shortly after, Powers was forced to leave her council position to care for older family members. She left behind her a city with a new iconic mascot, a hugely improved system for financial disclosures for its officials, and a warning system that remains to this day one of the most important safety measures ever implemented in an industrial area in the nation.

“I am like water,” Powers says. “I will find a way around any obstacle standing in the way of efforts for this city; I will go up and over, around, or under anything to get things done.”

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Related Topics:Donna Powers Politics Richmond Richmond City Council

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Alameda County

The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

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Amsterdam News

School District Extends Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler’s Contract for a Second Year

The Oakland Board of Education has extended Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract through June 2027, promoting her from interim to permanent superintendent with a salary of $367,765.45 per year.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week to extend Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract for another year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Under the new agreement, Saddler’s job title will become “superintendent”; she will no longer be called “interim.”

Along with the new title, she will receive full superintendent benefits and salary at $367,765.45 per year, according to the employment agreement.

The vote to approve the new contract passed 5-2 at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Saddler’s original interim contract was for one year. The school board was planning to select a permanent superintendent by the fall but earlier this year decided to delay the search.

The new contract reflects the Board of Education’s “determination that continuity in executive leadership is in the best interests of the district as Oakland Unified continues implementation of its fiscal stabilization strategies, academic priorities, labor relations initiatives, and operational improvements,” the employment agreement reads.

In November, the board approved a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to carry out that search, but Board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED last month that the process never got off the ground.

“No work was done, no money has been paid for the work (to) the search firm for the superintendent search,” Brouhard said. “Hopefully, we’ll be resuming that in the early part of the fall.”

Dr. Saddler was born and raised in Oakland, attended local schools, and has dedicated more than 45 years of her career to serving Oakland students and families.

She began her career in 1979 as a teacher of students with disabilities. Over the years, she has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and teachers’ union president.

While working in OUSD, she has served as principal at Chabot Elementary, area auperintendent, and executive leader for Community Engagement and Educational Transitions. She has also supported schools as a principal coach and substitute principal and taught at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Saddler holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College and master’s degrees in special education and in Staff Development and Administration.

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Activism

Mayor Barbara Lee Joins National Public Safety Leaders to Advance Proven Violence Reduction Strategies

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends a two-day meeting with other mayors and public safety leaders to discuss violence reduction strategies; Oakland has seen a 39% drop in homicides.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland was one of four cities participating in a public safety convening. Courtesy image.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee this week joined Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and public safety leaders from Oakland for a two-day meeting focused on advancing cutting-edge public safety strategies, including focused deterrence and violence reduction.

The meeting brought together civic and public safety leaders from Oakland and Indianapolis to locations in Baltimore and Philadelphia to share lessons learned and identify innovative approaches to crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

The participating cities are widely recognized for pioneering community-centered public safety models that prioritize prevention, accountability, and sustained investment in neighborhood-based solutions

Oakland’s delegation included Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Holly Joshi, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Casey Johnson, and Ceasefire Director Annette Jointer.

Oakland’s participation underscores its continued leadership in advancing evidence-based violence reduction strategies and building a public safety system that integrates law enforcement with community intervention and prevention programs.

Oakland continues to see historic reductions in violence, reflecting coordinated efforts across the Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Police Department, Ceasefire, and community-based partners, including:

Violent crime down 22%
Homicides down 39%
Lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years

These gains reflect sustained investment in focused deterrence strategies, real-time intervention, and expanded community violence interruption programs.

“Public safety is not achieved by any one agency alone—it requires coordination, trust, and a shared commitment to prevention and accountability,” said Lee. “We are proud to stand alongside cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis that are proving what works. We are seeing real progress in reducing violence in our communities, and we remain committed to building on that momentum through strategies that center prevention, intervention, and strong partnerships with residents.”

“Oakland’s progress shows what is possible when cities invest in focused deterrence and wraparound supports that reach people most at risk,” said Joshi. “Our work is grounded in building trust, responding quickly to emerging conflicts, and connecting individuals to services that interrupt cycles of violence. This convening was an opportunity to strengthen that work through shared learning with peers who are advancing similar strategies nationwide.”

Said Johnson, “Effective public safety requires a balanced approach that combines accountability with deep collaboration across agencies and communities.”

“We are seeing meaningful reductions in violent crime because of strong partnerships between law enforcement, DVP, Ceasefire, and community organizations,” said Johnson. “Engaging with peer cities allows us to refine and improve the strategies that are making Oakland safer.”