When Angenette Lau joined the City of South San Francisco as Communications Manager, she brought two decades of corporate communications experience—and a deep desire to serve her community. "I wanted to bridge the gap between the City and its residents,” she said, “to activate civic engagement, responsibility, and pride."
Her passion found a new spark in Leadership Council SMC's Emerging Leaders Program. As part of her Community Acceleration Project (CAP) team, Angenette partnered with Daly City Youth Health Center (DCYHC) to support its rebrand. The Advisory Board was so impressed by the team’s results that they invited Angenette to join.
The project struck a personal chord.
"As a mom, the more I learned about DCYHC, the more my 'mama bear heart' was activated by their mission. I couldn’t let it end with the completion of our project."
Today, she lends her communications and fundraising expertise to support youth, families, and underserved communities across San Mateo County.
Emerging Leaders, she says, was more than professional development. It was a call to action, giving her the knowledge and conviction to support a cause aligned with her values. "As a mom, I want my kids and their friends to have access to resources they need,” she said.
Despite her demanding schedule, Angenette committed to the advisory board, modeling civic engagement for her children.
"After Emerging Leaders, I'll always vote, always stay involved,” she said. “Once you learn how systems work and who is served, you can't stay on the sidelines.”
Angenette’s journey shows what happens when informed, empathetic leaders are inspired to act: they don’t just talk about change—they make it happen.
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