“To me, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is a time to uplift AANHPI voices and shine a light on the way members of the community have shaped the United States. I want to recognize our struggles, but also our joy, vibrancy, and achievements.”

In May, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) celebrates the rich cultures and contributions of the AANHPI communities. As we close out the month, we highlight Clarissa Wan, a Rates and Financial Planning Analyst Fellow in Finance.
Clarissa’s team is primarily responsible for setting the rates for the services provided by the SFPUC. The rate-setting process covers a wide range of considerations, including financial, legal, policy, environmental, and affordability. In addition, Clarissa is currently working on coordinating the disbursement of state grant funds for COVID-19 customer debt relief from the second round of the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program. “I’m really excited to see how these funds can help our customers,” she said. 

Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month

Both of Clarissa’s parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong when they were young and met here in the States. Clarissa holds close to her heart many of their stories about finding community, the challenges and discrimination they faced, and building a family together. “Huge shout out to my mom, who worked for the City and County of San Francisco for many years and has given me such love for public service,” she said with a smile. 

Clarissa shares that the term AANHPI refers to a very large and diverse group of people from many backgrounds. “The term ‘AANHPI’ is most certainly not a monolith, and there is so much diversity in our history and culture. I am proud to be Asian American, and proud of my family, and I hope to share this pride with others.”

Representation of AANHPI in the Utilities Industry 

Out of sight, but definitely not out of mind. The SFPUC delivers high-quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and sewer services to many residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Clarissa shares that the utilities industry, by nature, touches so many people’s lives. “The way we manage our water, power, and sewer systems has so many considerations. So, it’s essential that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are represented in the utilities industry to be a part of building fair and equitable systems and show that this can be a career path for other AANHPI folks.”