Dena Aslanian-Williams

Dena Aslanian-Williams immigrated to San Francisco from Tehran Iran as a teenager and fell immediately in love with this city. After attending Lincoln High School in the Sunset, she enrolled at City College and San Francisco State before entering the working world.

She has, in her long business career managed and owned exercise studios, coffee shops, restaurants and athletic clubs in many parts of San Francisco and the Peninsula ending her career in management with the prestigious Western Athletic Clubs.

Since 2001 she has been a full-time Realtor, first with Coldwell Banker, then Pacific Union and now Compass.

One of the things that Dena learned from her Armenian parents, is to give back wherever she is planted.

To that end she got involved in her Forest Hill Neighborhood Association and board, serving as a Director. She has been a delegate from her neighborhood to the West of Twin Peaks Central Council eventually serving as Vice President and President of that body in 2020, 2021 and 2022. (West of Twin Peaks represents 20 neighborhoods on the West Side of San Francisco.)

Giving back to her industry, Dena immediately became involved in Women’s Council of Realtors eventually serving as President Elect and President of the local chapter and District Vice President of the California State Chapter. For the past decade she has been a member of San Francisco Association of Realtors Governmental Relations Committee serving as chair and vice chair
in 2021 and 2022. She is currently running as a Director for the San Francisco Association of Realtors.

Ms. Aslanian Williams is also elected for the second time to the board of directors of Mount Davidson Cross and Genocide Memorial, owned by the Council of Armenian American Organizations.

Dena was appointed to the Commission on Homelessness and Supportive Housing by Mayor London Breed; her appointment was unanimously approved by all 11 members of the Board of Supervisors. Her position fills the seat reserved for someone representing neighborhoods and small businesses.

Dena is a widow, having lost her husband to cancer a few years ago, she has an adult son who lives in Puebla Mexico.