San Francisco officials laud Fil-Am leader

Tessie Guillermo

SAN FRANCISO-Filipino American leader Tessie Guillermo was honored Tuesday by this city’s District Attorney, George Gascón, and the Commission and the Department on the Status of Women for her commitment to innovation and community service.

Guillermo, president and CEO of Zero Divide received the award at the city’s 9th annual Women’s History Month Awards Reception at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. 525 Golden Gate Avenue.

This year’s celebration fetes women who “inspir[e] innovation through imagination” and honors “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”

Guillermo is one of “13 Amazing Women Nominees” awarded by Mayor Edwin M. Lee, District Attorney George Gascón, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

“Tessie Guillermo is an incredible woman who embodies the word innovation,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “In a high tech city like San Francisco, it’s hard to imagine communities with limited access to the Internet. Tessie’s groundbreaking work with ZeroDivide bridges underserved

communities with economic and Internet access.”

Guillermo is a renowned expert in health, human services and economic and community development. She has worked for every major health organization in the field, including Asian Health Services and the Asian Pacific Health Forum, which she co-founded and served as president for over a decade.  She was influential in the passage of the Asian Pacific Islander Health Improvement Act of 1990 and the 2010 Healthy People Initiative.

Guillermo’s organization, ZeroDivide, promotes the strategic use of technology in ways that increase economic opportunity, civic engagement and healthy outcomes in underserved communities. ZeroDivide has provided funding for several community organizations including YO! Youth Outlook, an award-winning publication featuring articles, essays, comic strips and poetry by Bay Area youth.

“Nationally recognized as Women’s History Month, March is dedicated to honoring the extraordinary women in our lives and in our communities,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “This award is our way of showing appreciation to female leaders who have gone above and beyond.”