By Dr. Marcy Adelman—
(Editor’s Note: Marcy Adelman, PhD, is the 2026 recipient of the Selisse Berry Legacy Leadership Award presented by the San Francisco Business Times. She received the award during the Business of Pride held on June 2, 2026, at The Westin St. Francis. The following is her acceptance speech from that evening.)
Thank you for this wonderful recognition. I am truly honored to receive the Selisse Berry Legacy Leadership Award and to be here with all of you today.
I have to tell you, I love reading the San Francisco Business Times. It gives me the real inside story of what is happening in our city—from who is buying or selling which building, to the latest tech gossip and financial news. It has long been one of my favorite reads. So, to now be receiving an award from this publication is incredibly special. This is really cool.
I am also thrilled to share some exciting news with you today. Openhouse, the LGBTQ+ housing and senior services nonprofit that I co-founded more than 25 years ago, is teaming up once again with Mercy Housing. Together, they are building a new 15-story development at 1939 Market Street.
This building will provide 187 affordable studio and one-bedroom apartments, primarily for LGBTQ+ older adults aged 62 and older. These additional apartments will double Openhouse’s current housing capacity and will make San Francisco home to the largest collection of LGBTQ+ friendly affordable senior housing in the whole damn country.
Groundbreaking is targeted for late this year or early 2027, with construction expected to take about two years. And, of course, Openhouse will be right there on-site, providing wellness programs and social activities.
I know that so many of you in this room champion our city’s nonprofits by donating and/or serving on boards. You have my deepest gratitude for your incredible generosity of time, treasure, and expertise. My hope today is that you will team up with Openhouse once again, just as you did when you helped us build our housing and service campus on Laguna Street.
Thank you again for honoring me with this very special award. I look forward to seeing you all at the groundbreaking.
Marcy Adelman, PhD, is the Co-Founder of Openhouse, the only San Francisco nonprofit exclusively focused on the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ older adults. She is a longtime LGBTQ+ aging policy advisor who is a member of the Dignity Fund Oversight and Advisory Committee for the City and County of San Francisco, the Advisory Council to the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, and was a former board member of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada. Previously, she also served as a psychologist in private practice for nearly 42 years.
Aging in Community
Published on June 25, 2026
Recent Comments