Mayor Edwin M. Lee today appointed Elaine Forbes as the Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. Forbes has been Interim Director of the Port since March 2016 and prior to her appointment as Interim Director, she was the Deputy Director for Finance and Administration for the Port. Her appointment is effective immediately.

“Elaine’s extensive leadership experience at the Port of San Francisco and her 15 years of invaluable experience serving our City’s residents makes her an outstanding candidate to serve the Port, its diverse stakeholders and the 24 million people that come to our City’s waterfront annually,” said Mayor Lee. “I am confident she will continue to lead the Port responsibly, sustain its economic vitality and diversity, and successfully deliver many infrastructure improvement projects including parks and open space and long-term improvements including to address seawall vulnerability and sea level rise for the benefit of San Franciscans for generations to come.”

The Port of San Francisco is responsible for the seven and one-half miles of San Francisco waterfront adjacent to the San Francisco Bay and is the lease holder for nearly 600 tenants. The Port oversees a broad range of maritime, commercial and public activities and is involved in a diverse range of business including real estate property management, cargo and cruise shipping, ferries and excursion boats, ship repair, commercial fishing and harbor services. Its jurisdiction stretches along the waterfront from Hyde Street Pier on the north to India Basin on the south.

In early 2016, the five-member body Port Commission undertook a world-wide search for a permanent Port Director. Their recommendations for the Port Director were delivered to the Mayor.

“Our waterfront is a place for all San Francisco residents and diverse communities, businesses and visitors,” said Port Commission President Willie Adams. “I am assured that under Elaine’s leadership she will continue to make historic investments in the waterfront that will serve everyone equitably and with the necessary engagement and outreach to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”

Prior to her employment at the Port of San Francisco, Elaine Forbes has held executive management and leadership positions at both the Planning Department and the San Francisco International Airport. In addition, she has worked for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the Budget Analyst’s Office and Office of the Legislative Analyst providing fiscal and policy analysis and evaluating and reporting on complex municipal issues. Forbes worked as a redevelopment agency planner for the City of Oakland and has worked for several non-profit land use policy and economic development organizations including the Urban Strategies Council and the California Budget Project. She holds a Masters of Arts degree with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles in Community and Economic Development where she was named the outstanding student and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mills College in Oakland and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Forbes was born in San Francisco and resides in the Castro neighborhood.