San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said Monday that Alicia John-Baptiste, head of the influential urban policy think tank SPUR, will serve as a policy chief in his administration, overseeing infrastructure, climate, and transportation.
The hire is part of Lurie’s restructuring of the mayor’s office, in which a group of policy chiefs will act as intermediaries with a host of departments, rather than the agency heads reporting directly to the mayor. John-Baptiste’s portfolio of agencies includes the Environment Department, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency, the Port of San Francisco, the Public Utilities Commission, Public Works, and Recreation and Parks.
John-Baptiste spent a decade at SPUR; for the last six years, she ran the nonprofit as president and CEO. Prior to that, she worked as chief of staff at the SFMTA and, before that, the Planning Department, according to LinkedIn.
John-Baptiste said in a statement that her return to City Hall comes at a “critical time” for San Francisco.
“How the city plans for and delivers on its major infrastructure, climate, and mobility goals will shape our vitality for years to come, and I’m looking forward to partnering with the mayor-elect and city leadership on this important work,” she said.
“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,” Lurie said in a statement.
Few agencies will be under more scrutiny than the SFMTA, whose embattled director Jeffrey Tumlin stepped down at the end of the year.
SPUR has been influential in shaping the incoming Lurie administration’s approach to governance. In August, the nonprofit recommended the restructuring of the mayor’s office to reduce the number of direct reports and create greater accountability.
“In its current state, the City and County of San Francisco’s government structure is like an overgrown garden: Everything was planted for its specific purpose but over time has grown thick and become difficult to disentangle,” the report states.
However, the report went on to note that the introduction of policy chiefs and other proposals — such as restoring the mayor’s ability to hire and fire department heads — would allow the city to “design a system that supports leadership and empowerment with clear lines of accountability.”
In addition to her work in the public and nonprofit sectors, John-Baptiste holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University. She has served on the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board, and the Oakland Budget Advisory Commission.