Alex Feldman has been stirring things up in the Marina Merchants Association (MMA). In June, the CEO of SF Optics was voted in as president of the group, moving up from the position he held as vice president. Feldman has been revitalizing and modernizing the association in a multitude of ways.

“I’m very big on social media,” says Feldman. In addition to creating a new website for the association that is geared more toward the consumer and to promoting business (www.themarinasf.com), he is utilizing social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook to maximize exposure and communication.

Feldman has also made it a point to stay in touch with local community groups such as the Marina Community Association and the Cow Hollow Neighbors in Action. “We have different needs but can work together for the common good,” says Feldman.

Feldman goes by the motto, “What’s good for the community is good for the individual.”
“If the neighborhood does well, we do well,” he says. “I really care about this.”

Feldman compares the MMA to a home-owners association; the businesses are like the homeowners and the communally cared for land is the neighborhood. “Taking care of the neighborhood as a whole is important,” he says.

Feldman first became involved with the MMA about two years ago when searching for a solution to a crime surge in the neighborhood. “The street started having issues with break-ins, and we [SF Optics] were victims. Twice in a year and a half we were robbed at night. The windows were smashed in and a large amount of goods were taken. We also had daytime heists in which they’d run in, grab as much as they could, and run back out.” Feldman felt that crime could be deterred by a greater police presence in the neighborhood, so he began looking for ways to get foot patrols. He reached out to the mayor’s office for help and was guided to the MMA.

Working with the MMA, the Northern Station and the rest of the community, Feldman and the neighborhood were able to secure more police. “Both previous Captain Casciato and current Captain Mannix have been a big help, and the two foot patrol officers, Matt [Faliano] and Ben [Vigil], are great. Everybody is happy they are here. Things have gotten much better. We went through a bad phase, and now it’s back to the way it used to be.”

His original goal in joining the MMA was to get better security for the streets, and with that under control, he has turned his focus on public relations and marketing for the neighborhood. “Keep the Marina on the map and push it higher up on the map. That’s our goal and mission, and the way to achieve that is if everyone works together.”

Feldman says of the MMA, “We’re picking up momentum; a lot of new businesses have been joining. We need people involved because at the end of the day, if people aren’t involved, you can’t get anything done.” Feldman cites the benefits for member merchants as marketing and public relations incentives, as well as networking opportunities through the meetings and socials.

“Many people come to the meetings who aren’t members, and anyone is welcome,” he says.

When asked what goals he has for the neighborhood, Feldman talks about cultivating community and the ideas he has for events that could bring in people from elsewhere. Beautifying Lombard Street is another concern.

He also mentions an idea to scout out new businesses when vacancies are about to appear. “The plan is to think about where demand is and what’s needed in the neighborhood to maintain balance.”

Last year Feldman joined forces with Project Homeless Connect, a program that connects homeless people to health and wellness services with a broader goal of moving them off the streets and into housing. Project Homeless Connect holds clinics in which volunteering providers gather to offer their services to the needy.

When Feldman started working with the vision section, he saw some changes that he could make. “Before, they were buying lenses and contracting lab work; the only thing donated were the frames.” Now Feldman is getting both lenses and frames donated through his vendors (Essilor, Salt, Mykita) and is donating the use of the two labs at his business to lab techs who have volunteered their services at half the usual fee. The changes Feldman has helped bring about have greatly lowered expenses, which should result in more homeless people being served – and with some swanky eyewear at that.

A representative reached at Project Homeless Connect said, “We are thankful for SF Optics. As a donor, they have provided so much for us.”

For all Feldman is doing, he is just a regular guy. Over iced tea at a coffee shop on Chestnut Street, his face lights up when he talks about his dog, Czar – the part-time “puptician,” part-time “puplicist,” – and his fiancée, Stephanie, who is a publicist at local public relations and marketing firm Double Forte. They live in the Marina; Feldman has been connected to the neighborhood since childhood, as SF Optics was founded by his father. “I love this neighborhood and I love this kind of work,” he says.

With more than just a desire to add a title to his resume, MMA president Alex Feldman is looking to make positive changes in the neighborhood for the good of everyone.