FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 6, 2018
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, 415-554-6131

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MAYOR LONDON BREED APPOINTS MARY ELLEN CARROLL AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Carroll brings years of experience to the City’s emergency management department

San Francisco, CA— Mayor London N. Breed today appointed Mary Ellen Carroll as the new Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Carroll has more than 15 years of emergency management experience with various City departments and currently serves as the Director of Emergency Planning and Security for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

“I am excited to name Mary Ellen Carroll as the new head of the Department of Emergency Management,” said Mayor Breed. “Our highest responsibility is ensuring the safety of all San Franciscans. Mary Ellen has decades of experience coordinating emergency response and preparedness efforts in San Francisco and I know that with her in charge, the City will be ready when disaster inevitably strikes.”

Carroll brings almost 25 years of experience in local public service to the Department of Emergency Management. She has served for the past seven years as the Director of Emergency Planning and Security for the Public Utilities Commission, where she supervised all security and emergency management operations.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve Mayor Breed and the City of San Francisco in such a critical public safety capacity,” said Carroll. “My entire career has been dedicated to community resiliency and disaster response, and I am excited to work with the entire team at DEM to prepare our City for any emergency that might impact us.”

At the SFPUC, Carroll oversaw the Regional Water System, which spans from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park to final distribution locations throughout the Bay Area. Her role included ongoing security design for multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects like the Water and Sewer System Improvement Programs. She managed the response to the 2013 Rim Fire that resulted in almost $50 million in damage to SFPUC assets, and has led numerous incident command activations throughout her tenure. 

Carroll has deployed in a mutual assistance role to regional disasters including several wildfires. She managed the City’s pilot policy on drone usage and she is an active member of the California Water/Wastewater Response Network.

“Mary Ellen is passionate about emergency response,” said San Francisco Public Utilities General Manager Harlan Kelly. “She’s a dedicated public servant who will be ready to serve San Francisco 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The City is in good hands with Mary Ellen at the helm of DEM.”

The Department of Emergency Management functions as the City & County of San Francisco’s emergency preparedness coordination agency, bringing together departments and external stakeholders before, during, and after disasters and large planned events. In addition, the Department of Emergency Management includes the City’s 911 call center and dispatch function.

“Mary Ellen’s commitment to community resiliency runs deep,” said Progress Foundation Executive Director Steve Fields. “When disaster strikes, we have a special obligation to help seniors, the disabled, and other people who need extra assistance. I know Mary Ellen values our community non-profit partners, and she can count on our support before, during, and after major events.”

Before joining local government, Carroll worked at several community based organizations as a low income housing developer for previously homeless and special needs individuals. She joined the City’s Department of Public Health in 2005, where she led planning and coordination efforts for San Francisco’s health systems. Carroll spent several years working in the Controller's Office developing business continuity plans for key city services. She also developed city-wide plans for state and federal cost recovery activities to ensure rapid recovery from disasters and reimbursement for disaster damages.  

Carroll is succeeding outgoing Executive Director Anne Kronenberg, who is retiring after more than 40 years in City government, including the past seven at the Department of Emergency Management. Carroll’s first day as Executive Director is Saturday, August 11, 2018.

Carroll has two children and holds a B.A. in International Studies from George Washington University and an M.A. in Urban Studies from Virginia Tech.

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