Libby Schaaf, the former mayor of Oakland, has been appointed president and CEO of the Bay Area Council following a national search.
The Bay Area Council, founded in 1945, represents more than 350 major employers across the region and advocates on issues including housing affordability, transportation, and economic development.
The council said Schaff will lead the organization's efforts to advance economic growth, housing solutions and regional collaboration across the nine-county Bay Area.
Her selection was unanimously approved by the council's executive committee.
Besides her years as Oakland’s mayor and one term as a city council member, Schaaf has recently held fellowships and teaching roles at the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Harvard University, focused on governance and public-private partnerships.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Schaaf –who served as Oakland mayor from 2015 to 2023 – will begin her new role on May 4.
