Executive Leadership

Message from the President & CEO

In the years that I have been in public service, I have observed that where there is a meeting of the minds, collective resolve, and foresight, communities—cities grow with cultural vibrancy incorporated with progressive planning. Through the course of history, San Francisco has attracted talent that has made the world a better place and spawned movements that have been a gift to humanity, transcending demographics and engaging interdisciplinary synthesis.

It is this confluence of talent that has made the Bay Area synonymous with inventiveness that defines American values and our inspired ability to dream and imagine possibilities beyond the present. Our natural assets and centers of learning are engines that propel us towards excellence and impact the quality of life that sustains play. Vital to this premise are the ecosystems that generate clean air and water, sustaining flora and fauna integral to a lifestyle that connects us to our environment in the Bay Area. Add to this equation, the 24 million tourists who visit San Francisco, the 10 million who visit the Embarcadero and Pier 39, contributing billions to the economy. They engage hotels, restaurants, merchants, tour operators, suppliers, transportation providers, airlines and a plethora of other support services, generating an estimated 76,000 travel industry jobs adding upwards of $8 billion to the economy with $550+ million in City and County Tax revenues.

We are embarking on a new journey making a tectonic shift to engage our communities, galvanizing a movement to protect, conserve, preserve the Bay ecosystems and in doing so, creating an exemplary bold beacon to implement experiential change. This is the first time in decades that there has been a concerted re-think of our future and priorities that are vital to protecting and preserving the San Francisco Bay and its watershed. Whether it be endangered species or pollution levels in the Bay, an increased level of awareness must be forged amongst those who call this region their home. On March 11, 2017 the Board of Directors began the process of strategic envisioning and re-defining an edifice that has far reaching implications for Bay area ecosystems, our children and destination dynamics for the city of San Francisco. This new vision is a bold statement that will continue to enrich and strengthen the grassroots environmental movement integral to the legacy future generations can build upon and gain from—a legacy that we can all work toward for future generations. It is time for us to come together to champion this ecosynthesis and BE the movement.