OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has appointed Nenna Joiner, owner of Feelmore Adult Gallery, to the Measure Y Violence and Prevention and Public Safety Oversight Committee, which oversees proper administration of revenue collection and spending, and implementation of programs funded by the four-million dollar program.
Since opening Feelmore three years ago, Joiner says she has stayed involved in local government after facing much opposition from the community in pursuit of opening her adult store.
“I had to write down my vision for Feelmore, which would give the city of Oakland an idea about what I intended to do. Yet, to keep the doors open I would have to do much more than sell intimate products, I would have to create a space where my customers would want to shop,” Joiner said. “Small things make a difference for our customers, such as calling to have street lights replaced or writing letters and/or calling City Hall to ask that we get better traffic signals. I think of being in business [as] being political, especially in Oakland.”
Joiner added that she is grateful for the opportunity her recent appointment as a commissioner on Measure Y affords her and acknowledges its significance, explaining "To be noticed not just as someone that owns an adult store, but someone that truly cares about their community, is the icing on the cake.”
The commission meets on a monthly basis and the proceedings are televised on Oakland’s local public access station (KTOP).
Feelmore Adult Gallery is located on 1703 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, Calif.