FRANCESCA VIETOR, RENOWNED ENVIRONMENTALIST, ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF S.F. PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Civic and Environmental Leadership Cited as Key Reasons for Appointment of Past President and Director of City’s Environment Commission and Department

Francesca Vietor, a respected voice in the San Francisco environmental community, was elected yesterday as President of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). Vietor will lead the five member commission that sets policy for the City’s water, power and sewer department. Vietor, previously serving as Vice-President of the Commission, has served on the Commission since September 2008.

“I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of outgoing Commission President F.X. Crowley and congratulate Francesca on her new appointment,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Francesca’s years of civic and environmental leadership will help further San Francisco and the SFPUC’s tradition of environmental stewardship and innovation.”

Vietor, a native San Franciscan, has been a dedicated voice and advocate for environmental protection programs for more than two decades. Previous positions include serving as President of the Urban Forest Council (2003-2005), Chair of the Mayor’s Environmental Transition Team (2003), President of the S.F. Commission on the Environment (1997-1999) and Director of the S.F. Department of the Environment (1999-2001). Vietor has served as the principal consultant to Ecoworks (2005-2010) and on both the staff and board of the Rainforest Action Network. She is co-founder and codirector of 1000 Flowers, a national woman’s voter registration and mobilization effort, which registered and activated over 20,000 women in 47 states.

Vietor’s community service has also included work with Bioneers, Bluewater Network, Center for Environmental Health, Commonweal, the Chez Panisse Foundation, Friends of San Francisco Public Library, the Goldman Fund, Greenpeace, International Rivers, Neighborhood Parks Council, Save the Bay and Slide Ranch, among others.

“Water, energy and wastewater are critical issues facing our communities, our city and our state,” said Vietor. “I will work with my fellow commissioners to ensure that we have adequate fresh water, clean energy and sustainable wastewater systems to protect our environment, as well as safeguard the public health and economic future of our city.”

A graduate of Georgetown University and BFA candidate at California College for the Arts, Vietor lives in San Francisco with her five-year-old daughter, Chiara.