San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today nominated Assessor Carmen Chu to serve as San Francisco’s City Administrator. The City Administrator serves a 5-year term, following confirmation by the Board of Supervisors, and is responsible for overseeing more than 25 departments and programs that provide a range of services to the public and other City departments.

“I am proud to nominate Carmen to lead the City Administrator’s Office. She is a committed and well-respected public servant who has a proven track record of delivering results and working to make our government more accessible and equitable for all San Franciscans,” said Mayor Breed. “She has done a tremendous job as Assessor-Recorder, and during this pandemic, she has stepped way above her normal duties to help lead the City’s economic recovery efforts. With Carmen leading the City Administrator’s office, I am confident that we will have the leadership we need to advance our recovery from COVID and move our City forward through this challenging time.”

Chu has served as the elected Assessor for the City and County of San Francisco since 2013. She is the only Asian American woman elected as Assessor in the State of California. Under her leadership, the Assessor’s Office has successfully reversed a decades-old backlog of assessment cases, while generating over $3.6 billion in property tax revenue annually to support public services, such as health, education, and neighborhood services. Such achievements have earned her office the prestigious 2020 Good Government Award, an honor recognizing excellence in public sector management and stewardship.

“I am honored and humbled to be nominated by the Mayor. In each role I’ve served, starting as an analyst in the Mayor’s budget office, to Supervisor for the Sunset District, and as Assessor for the City and County of San Francisco, I’ve seen the positive and important impact government can have on uplifting people,” said Assessor Carmen Chu. “The work of the City Administrator is big – it serves as the backbone for our entire City’s operations. I look forward to serving the people of San Francisco in this new role.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic crisis began, Chu has led the Economic Recovery Task Force, which Mayor Breed convened to develop strategies to support local businesses and mitigate economic hardships, while setting long-term goals to help San Francisco rebound stronger. Working with over 100 business, labor union, non-profit, academia, faith-based and other community leaders, the Task Force functioned as a bridge between industries and public health officials, advocated for operational flexibility and cutting red tapes. Collectively, the Task Force developed 41 recommendations and policy ideas to make the City’s economy stronger, more resilient, and more equitable. The final report was released on October 8, 2020.

In addition to her responsibilities as a citywide elected official, Chu currently serves on the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System Board, where she oversees the investments and policies of a $26 billion public pension system. She also provides direction on the Executive Board of SPUR, a non-profit research and policy organization focused on developing regional solutions to cross-county challenges like housing affordability, climate resilience, economic equity, and public transportation.

Prior to her tenure as Assessor, Chu was an elected representative on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Deputy Director of Public Policy and Finance for then Gavin Newsom’s mayoral administration. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in public policy from Occidental College and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

The City Administrator’s Office comprises more than 25 departments and programs that provide a broad range of services to other city departments and the public. Examples of the Agency’s functions include public safety, internal services, civic engagement, capital planning, asset management, code enforcement, disaster mitigation, tourism promotion, and economic development.

The City Administrator’s Office provides services through the following divisions: 311, Animal Care and Control, Office of Cannabis, Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, Community Challenge Grant Program, Committee on Information Technology, Contract Monitoring Division, Convention Facilities, County Clerk’s Office, Digital Services Program, Entertainment Commission, Fleet Management, Grants for the Arts, Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, Mayor’s Office on Disability, Medical Examiner, Purchasing, Real Estate Division, Repromail, Risk Management, Office of Resilience and Capital Planning, and the Treasure Island Development Authority.

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