Acts of Service Turns 2!

Behind the Scenes

What we built in 2025

Thank you to everyone that supported Acts of Service in 2025, below are a few things that went on behind the scenes!

We refined our Mission:to support and empower underserved youth seeking careers in the hospitality industry with community building, job readiness, and career development services.

Acts of Service will focus on the professional development by offering training to youth 18-24 yrs old from communities that lack resources. Our focus is to train, mentor, and help them get ready to enter the hospitality industry, specifically to work in hotels in San Francisco by creating a community that will be a source of support at every step in their career to gain economic upward mobility.

We deepened our understanding of San Francisco

To have the privilege of participating in the Leadership San Francisco program through the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, month after month gave me a new perspective of this amazing city and its inner magic. Being able to sit in rooms with nonprofit leaders, city officials, and community builders who are all working on different corners of the same problem: How do you create opportunity in one of the most beautiful and most difficult cities in the world? Allows me to believe that anything is possible.

Leadership San Francisco Class of 2026, September 2025

We showed up for OEWD

Attending the OEWD’s (Office of Economic and Workforce Development) listening and feedback sessions last year allowed a deeper understanding about the process on how workforce dollars are directed, gained an understanding of the challenges similar programs face, learned how aligning with city priorities benefits an organization, and was proud to be the only representative of the hospitality sector.

We filed out first taxes

Its a small thing but also not a small thing! We have since filled 2 tax returns as an organization.

Thank you Greg & Lindsey

Thank you to our outgoing Board of Directors, Greg Shafer and Lindsey Wilkins completed their two-year term. I am genuinely grateful for your support!

Welcome New Board of Directors

Acts of Service welcomed two remarkable people to its Board of Directors Team.

Pilar M. Hernandez Motta brings more than 20 years of hospitality leadership, with deep expertise in People Operations across some of San Francisco's most sophisticated properties. Originally from Lima, Peru, Pilar has led in both union and non-union environments, supported properties across the US and internationally, and built a career around one consistent belief: that people, when genuinely supported, do extraordinary things. She currently serves as Co-Chair of CoralTree Hospitality's CORE Council, guiding work centered on belonging and inclusion. She brings both strategic depth and a deep personal commitment to purpose-driven leadership.

Melissa Tytko Andretta brings more than 20 years experience in travel & tourism and has spent 11 years as Director of Aviation Marketing & Development at San Francisco International Airport, one of the most dynamic intersections of hospitality, travel, and city identity in the world. A Georgetown University graduate, Melissa is one of those people who makes every person in a room feel genuinely seen. She has strong leadership experience and an instinct for connection. A connection through Leadership San Francisco it became clear quickly that she belonged in this work. Drawn to Acts of Service to make a real impact in the industry she loves.

Pilar& Melissa, Welcome!

Looking ahead

Acts of Service is two years old and our formal program building phase will officially begin. We don’t have any participants yet, that will take some time as we build the infrastructure, the partnerships, and the credibility of our organization.

Acts of Service exists because of the hardship that we have endured as an industry, and we lean towards it to continue to build because of it. If we can open the door to just one person, it will all be worth it.

Thank you for two years of support, belief, and community. I look forward to what is ahead.

With gratitude,

Alex Lexson, Founder & Executive Director, Acts of Service