Mission Local is tracking Daniel Lurie’s appointments on a live page here, where you can see the comings and goings at the major city departments and the mayor’s office as they happen.
Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie this afternoon named Alicia John-Baptiste, the president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) to be his chief of infrastructure, climate, and mobility in the mayor’s office.
In this new position, John-Baptiste will help Lurie coordinate with the Environment Department, the MTA, the Port of San Francisco, the Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Works, and the Recreation and Parks Department.
John-Baptiste is the third of four new first-ever deputies to be named by Lurie. The mayor-elect earlier named former police commander Paul Yep as the chief of public safety and ex-Twitter executive Ned Segal as the chief of housing and economic development. Only one deputy — the chief of public health — is yet to be named.
“Alicia brings extensive expertise in shaping bold, transformative policies, and whose leadership will enhance communication and transparency as we pursue a more sustainable, connected, and resilient San Francisco,” said Lurie in a press release.
SPUR’s recent report on better governance is one that several political groups have pointed to as a road map for amending the city’s charter. It recommends eliminating rules restricting “mayoral staffing and management” by striking portions of the city charter instituted by Prop. H back in 1991. It also suggests restructuring the mayor’s office to allow for “a more manageable number of direct reports.”
“I am thrilled to be returning to government service at such a critical time for the future of San Francisco,” John-Baptiste said in the press release. “I’m also excited to directly implement a recommendation from SPUR’s good government work by joining the newly-created team of policy chiefs.”
John-Baptiste has been leading urban policy nonprofit SPUR as its president and CEO for about six years and deputy director for three years. Prior to her time at SPUR, John-Baptiste worked for about 16 years at City Hall between the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Planning Department.
John-Baptiste worked nine years at the SFMTA, including three years as chief of staff between 2012 and 2015 and some other roles between 1999 to 2005. She also worked for seven years at the Planning Department, including as chief of staff for four years from 2008 to 2012 and chief administrative officer for three years from 2005 to 2008.