He couldn't walk up the grand staircase in City Hall, but longtime political consultant Jim Rivaldo was in the board chambers Tuesday, September 25 as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors presented him with a commendation for his vision and leadership over the last several decades.

Rivaldo, 60, is suffering from inoperable liver cancer and diabetes. He arrived at City Hall in a wheelchair, and was quickly surrounded by members of the city's political family, many of whom he had helped in their bids for elective office.

He was a close friend and confidant of the late Supervisor Harvey Milk, and worked on Milk's campaigns, which included unsuccessful bids for state Assembly and supervisor before he was elected to the board in 1977. Disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White gunned down Milk and Mayor George Moscone in their City Hall offices November 27, 1978.

At Tuesday's board meeting, Rivaldo was back among the political movers and shakers. Supervisor Tom Ammiano read the commendation, which highlighted Rivaldo's work on the No on 6 (Briggs initiative) campaign, which saw the measure to ban gays from teaching in public schools go down to defeat in 1977.

In a brief interview, Rivaldo told the Bay Area Reporter that the highlight of his career was "my association with Harvey Milk."

"There's nobody better," said Rebecca Prozan, co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, which honored Rivaldo with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was similarly honored by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, which he co-founded with Milk when it was known as the Gay Democratic Club.

"While he focused much of his attention on LGBT candidates and issues, to far less fanfare, Jim helped elect every African American candidate in the 1970s and 1980s, and in 1976 served as treasurer in the campaign that brought us district elections," Ammiano stated.

Those district elections were abandoned in the aftermath of Milk's murder, but city voters passed another version of district elections several years ago that remains in place today.

Rivaldo also served as the first openly gay state commissioner, appointed by Milk to represent San Francisco on the North Central Regional Coastal Commission.

"Through Jim's efforts and leadership, we have the Office of Citizen Complaints, domestic partnerships, and ironically, the nation's largest gay and lesbian Republican organization, the Log Cabin Republicans," the commendation states.

After receiving a standing ovation, Rivaldo stood briefly at the podium and thanked the supervisors.

"I really appreciate this acknowledgement," he said, adding that as he arrived at City Hall, he recalled that Milk never took the elevator, preferring instead to walk up the grand staircase.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera made a rare appearance before the board, "to recognize the great work and tremendous friendship of Jim Rivaldo."

"I realize he's been involved in politics a long time, but the beauty is what Jim's done is timeless," Herrera said.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty was one of several people who commented about Rivaldo's integrity as a political consultant, as did Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.

"It made me proud of an industry that's often maligned," Mirkarimi said of Rivaldo's work. "He was very understated with a velvet touch."

Board President Aaron Peskin thanked Rivaldo for his years of service.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell noted that Rivaldo worked on her first campaign. "Without you, I wouldn't be here," she said. "You held my hand all the way. You've been our dream maker. The angels are smiling down on you."