Manny Yekutiel, owner of a popular Mission District cafe and a member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, said Tuesday that he’s resigning from his position on the board.
Yekutiel, who was in Israel during an attack by Hamas militants that killed hundreds and sparked a war, said his experience with a subsequent volunteer effort in the country led him to reassess his priorities.
“I want to take a step back, refocus what I’m doing and explore new avenues to serve San Francisco,” Yekutiel said in a text message.
“I’m not sure what those avenues will be yet. To be honest I just got back and it’s been a lot,” he continued.
Mayor London Breed nominated Yekutiel, who runs Manny’s in the Mission District, to serve on the SFMTA Board of Directors, which oversees transportation policy.
The board has experienced turnover in recent months. In April, Gwyneth Borden, the board’s former vice president, resigned after receiving an ethics fine over unregistered lobbying activity on behalf of an Italian restaurant.
Dominica Henderson, a Bayview native and policy professional, was appointed to the seven-member SFMTA board in July 2023. Lydia So, an architect, was appointed to the board in June 2023.