Phil Ginsburg will exit as general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department at the end of the year to become president of the Resources Legacy Fund, the city announced Monday.
Ginsburg, 59, was appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2009, making him the city’s second-longest-serving parks chief. He went on to serve under six mayors.
“I’m grateful to Phil Ginsburg for his 25 years of service to our city and 16 years of leadership at the Recreation and Parks Department,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said. “Phil has worked tirelessly to improve our city’s public spaces, and I want to thank him for his unending commitment to San Francisco.”
Under Ginsburg’s leadership, San Francisco became the first U.S. city in which every resident lives within a 10-minute walk of at least one of 1,017 parks or open spaces. Under his leadership, the department improved parks and opened new ones.
Ginsburg oversaw major transformations, including the conversion of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to a permanent car-free space, the development of India Basin waterfront with an equity-focused plan, and the renovation of UN Plaza into a skateboarding destination.
Also during his tenure, the department established California’s first apprenticeship program for gardeners, expanded youth sports programs, and secured more than $300 million in philanthropic support for park renovations.
“Phil’s impact is felt in every corner of our great city,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener. “From new playgrounds to spectacular trails, great concerts to public art installations; Phil’s work has improved and enlivened San Francisco.”
Ginsburg transitioned Golden Gate Park to recycled water and built what the department calls a “new generation” of playgrounds throughout the city.
Supervisor Connie Chan, who previously served as a spokesperson for the department under Ginsburg, has in recent years criticized her former boss and publicly clashed with him in 2021 over the now-defunct Parks Alliance nonprofit.
In a statement Monday, Chan praised his long-standing commitment to improving the city’s park system.
“It is never easy to manage more than 4,000 acres of the city’s public parks and meeting the demands and needs of our diverse communities,” Chan said. “I thank him for his service.”
The Resources Legacy Fund, based in Sacramento, works to advance environmental conservation policies in California and the rest of the West. According to its 2024 financial disclosure, it has $152 million in assets. Ginsburg currently serves as chair of the state’s Recreation and Parks Commission and sits on the boards of the National Recreation and Parks Association and other environmental groups.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of San Francisco as their parks director,” Ginsburg said. “I am proud of the safe, clean, joyous, and equitable park system we have built over the last 16 years.”
The city has not announced Ginsburg’s replacement or the timeline for selecting a new general manager.