The 2020 SF Good Government Awards, held on March 4, recognized outstanding job performance by those serving the City and County of San Francisco.
Ms. Aspilla was San Francisco International Airport’s first Director of Social Responsibility and Community Sustainability. In the role, she brought together three different units — small business development, workforce development and compliance operations — to improve both the safety and experience of people working and moving through SFO.
Fifty-three million people travel through SFO every year, thanks in part to the dedication and hard work of over 46,000 employees. Yet eighty percent of SFO employers reported that they have faced challenges recruiting and retaining workers in the tightest labor market in over forty years. This was in part due to rising housing and transportation costs in the Bay Area, which made it difficult to attract and keep workers.
To address this, Ms. Aspilla worked collaboratively with employers, employees and the community to develop creative solutions that focused on improving working conditions. While these efforts met the business needs of the Airport, it also helped to meet the personal needs of workers by enabling them to keep more money in their pockets, stay in good jobs, and advance within their careers. As a direct result of her efforts, there was a thirty percent to seventy percent increase in retention, saving millions of dollars in recruitment, turnover and productivity costs.
Learn about our other 2020 honorees:
Danielle Mieler Ensures the Safety of San Francisco's Tall Buildings
Peggy Sugarman Develops an Injury Hotline to Keep City Employees Safe and Healthy
Goal to Roll Team Tackles a Backlog to Let City Revenue Flow