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Report regarding a resolution renaming the Community Learning Center as the Gene Mullin Community Learning Center in honor of Gene Mullin. (Valerie Sommer, Library Director)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council receive a recommendation from the Library Board of Trustees and adopt a Resolution to rename the Community Learning Center (CLC) as the Gene Mullin Community Learning Center.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Former California State Assembly Member, South San Francisco Mayor and City Council Member Eugene R. Mullin (Gene) passed away on April 5, 2021. Gene taught social studies at South San Francisco High School for 32 years. His work both in the classroom and in public life made life better for students individually and for our community. He was also a strong advocate of the Library's Community Learning Center (CLC), and renaming this public-facing learning venue in his honor is eminently appropriate.
Gene was on City Council during the planning, renovation, and startup of the CLC. He was also heavily involved in community meetings and outreach that helped to determine the CLC's program focus on family support, ESL classes, literacy programming, and afterschool homework programs for local elementary school children. On October 23, 1997, then-Council Member Mullin led the first of three planning meetings at Grand Avenue Library, which was attended by Old Town community members, City and SSFUSD staff, and representatives of community-based organizations. The goal of this group was to create a focused vision for a community learning center and to examine existing resources. The group identified two main program areas: (1) parent/family learning and (2) basic skills tutoring for youth and adults.
The CLC opened on March 20, 2001. Gene was vice mayor on opening day, and his name is memorialized on the building plaque. The CLC's tagline is Opening Doors to Success, a key value identified in CLC planning and implement...
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