San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu today announced the appointment of Pau Crego to serve as the next Executive Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives (OTI). Crego, who has worked at the Office of Transgender Initiatives since its founding in 2017, is a queer and trans immigrant, who has worked in trans communities for the past 16 years, both in San Francisco and in Spain, where he is originally from. Crego currently serves as the Acting Executive Director for OTI.

“I am proud to officially name Pau Crego as the new Executive Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives,” said Mayor Breed. “For years, Pau has led critical and effective initiatives that have served some of our city’s most vulnerable trans and LGBTQ+ residents. His experience and connection to the community will help build on the instrumental work of this Office.”

Crego was named Acting Executive Director for OTI in September 2021 following the departure of Clair Fairley. Prior to that, Crego served as Deputy Director of OTI where he advanced OTI’s most notable initiatives, which include: 

• Increasing critical funding for transgender and LGBTQ+ community services in the areas of housing, healthcare, arts and culture, violence prevention, as well as leadership and economic development.
• Ensuring the City’s COVID response included efforts to focus on LGBTQ+ people, particularly housing vulnerable LGBTQ+ people in Shelter-in-Place hotels during the pandemic.
• Launching Our Trans Home SF, the nation’s first trans housing and rental subsidy program for transgender adults.
• Establishing the City’s Trans Guaranteed Income pilot program.
• Developing and instituting policy and training efforts to increase transgender and LGBTQ+ inclusion across City departments.
• Implementing additional local policies, such as all-gender restroom legislation; sexual orientation and gender identity data collection for City employees; contracting and travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation; LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy. 
• Administering OTI’s Professional Development Fellowship for transgender immigrants, in collaboration with the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs and El/La Para TransLatinas.  

“I am humbled and grateful to be the next Executive Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives. As transgender people continue to be the targets of legislative attacks throughout the country and beyond, we in San Francisco are uniquely positioned to build upon the rich legacy of trans activism in our city to advocate for trans livelihood in every sector of society,” said Pau Crego. “These possibilities would not exist today without the work of countless trans ancestors, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Latina trans women, whose visions for trans liberation made our existence today possible. I look forward to partnering with trans people and City leaders to build a San Francisco of which trans people are an integral part, and can live out their fullest potential.”

Established in 2017, the Office of Transgender Initiatives is the first City government office in the country focused on advancing policies, programs, and equity initiatives for transgender, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ communities across San Francisco.

“Pau’s work has been foundational to the Office’s efforts to promote safety and inclusion for trans and gender nonconforming people, creating a model for other local governments to follow,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “From spearheading policy initiatives in partnership with community leaders to updating the City’s Gender Inclusion Policy, Pau has been at the forefront advocating for trans and LGBTQ+ rights. I am excited to continue working with him to advance equity and increase opportunities for our transgender communities.” 

“I wholeheartedly believe Pau is exactly who we need to lead the Office of Transgender Initiatives,” said Aria Sa’id, co-founder and President of The Transgender District. “His bold vision, strategic thinking, and commitment to equity and compassion will continue to lead our communities towards greater trans justice. I look forward to strengthening the partnership between The Transgender District and OTI under Pau’s leadership.”

“From day one at OTI, Pau has been instrumental to ensuring that the trans community, including trans Latinas and Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ immigrants, are heard, included, and elevated in City government,” said Nicole Santamaria, Executive Director of El/La Para TransLatinas. “I worked closely with Pau to design and launch a collaborative professional development fellowship for transgender immigrants. His vision and hard work on this project have established pathways to support greater economic self-sufficiency, educational opportunity, and language access for our trans communities.”

Prior to his time at OTI, Crego worked at Larkin Street Youth Services in programs serving LGBTQ+ youth and youth living with HIV, and later joined El/La Para TransLatinas as the agency’s first case manager. Crego is also part-time faculty in the Health Education Department at City College of San Francisco, and a published author and translator in the fields of trans health, gender diversity, and public health. Crego holds a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.

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