City Administrator Carmen Chu announces the retirement of Convention Facilities Director Ken Bukowski

SAN FRANCISCO, CA---Today, City Administrator Carmen Chu announced the retirement of Ken Bukowski, Director of the Convention Facilities Department. Since 2022, Bukowski has overseen operations and management of the City-owned Moscone Center--a cornerstone of San Francisco’s $10 billion tourism industry--and ushered the return of conventions post-pandemic.

"I want to thank Ken Bukowski for his leadership of the Convention Facilities Department, bringing conventions to San Francisco and helping to execute some of the biggest events our city has hosted,” said Mayor Lurie. “His work at the Moscone Center helped drive our broader economic recovery, supporting our local businesses, hospitality workers, and downtown communities when it mattered most.”

“Few have been more impactful in the day-to-day operations of the City than Ken Bukowski throughout his nearly 25 years of City service,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “In his own understated way, Ken took on the daunting but critical task of revitalizing San Francisco’s convention business just as the City was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. His pragmatic, eyes and boots-on-the-ground approach was exactly the focus we needed to rebuild our book of business, one convention at a time, with industry partners. Under his leadership, we have secured major partnerships with the NFL, NBA, and Salesforce, reaffirming Moscone’s status as a premier venue for global events and showcasing San Francisco’s enduring strength. I am truly grateful for Ken’s tremendous contributions to our City and wish him the very best in his well‑earned retirement."

“Ken has done an extraordinary job leading Moscone Center and helping to bring world-class conventions to San Francisco," said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. "His leadership has had a lasting impact on South of Market and our local economy, and we’re grateful for his years of dedicated service. I want to thank Ken for his contributions and wish him all the best in a very well-deserved retirement.”

To help bring back conventions after the pandemic, Bukowski created the Moscone Center Recovery Fund, a $5 million initiative that temporarily lowered the cost of renting space. During his tenure, Moscone signed new multi-year commitments to host conferences with significant economic impact to the city, including new conferences like Microsoft Ignite and Databricks Data+ AI Summit, and renewals for longtime events like Dreamforce and RSAC. Major international conventions, like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week and CEO Summit, NBA All‑Star Crossover Experience, and Super Bowl LX Fan Experience, came to Moscone.

“Having the opportunity to help bolster San Francisco’s economic recovery as Convention Facilities Director has been a great privilege,” said Ken Bukowski. “The success we have had in bringing back convention business so strongly in San Fracisco would not have been possible without the hard work of many partners including Moscone Center staff, SF Travel, Yerba Buena Partnership, Union Square Alliance, San Francisco Police Department, and the overall hospitality community.”

Under Bukowski’s leadership, the department focused on creating a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for convention attendees, exhibitors, and residents of the neighborhood. Bukowski instituted pre-convention coordination meetings with SFPD and other City departments to inform event organizers and community partners of City efforts to improve the experience of attendees traveling in San Francisco. The meetings have become a model for similar programs at other convention centers.

Bukowski also spearheaded beautification efforts in the downtown and South of Market neighborhoods where the Moscone Center is located, working with community partners like the Yerba Buena Partnership and Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy. Improvements include new landscaping, murals, and sculpture installations that have made the area more vibrant. Bukowski led initial efforts to create a comprehensive Moscone Center Pedestrian Corridor Plan that will improve high-traffic areas during conferences. The project is now in the schematic design phase.

During Bukowski’s time as Director, Moscone continued to advance its leadership in sustainability. In 2024, Moscone Center achieved LEED Platinum certification—the highest recognition for sustainable structures under the US Green Building Program. Currently, new solar panels are slated for installation on Moscone West in 2026 in partnership with the Public Utilities Commission.

“Ken Bukowski's retirement marks the end of a chapter for the Yerba Buena neighborhood,” said Scott Rowitz, Executive Director of the Yerba Buena Partnership. “Through his leadership on the Yerba Buena Partnership Board and as Chairman of the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, Ken championed this community with a tireless dedication that touched everything — from the elevated experience of Moscone Center conventions, to the lush new plantings at Yerba Buena Gardens, to the public artworks that now enrich the streets around them. His creation of pre-convention coordination meetings brought City departments, convention planners, and Community Benefit Districts into true alignment, setting a new standard for how this neighborhood welcomes the world. Ken didn't just serve this community — he made it better for everyone."

"Ken has been an incredible champion for San Francisco and a true partner to SF Travel,” said Anna Marie Presutti, SF Travel President & CEO. “His vision for Moscone Center, and his relentless drive to bring the world's biggest events to our city, helped strengthen San Francisco's position as a premier meetings destination. Events at Moscone Center generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact annually, and our positive booking trajectory is a direct reflection of his leadership. We are grateful for everything he has built and wish him a well-deserved retirement."

“San Francisco’s hospitality industry is deeply connected to the success of Moscone Center and the City as a whole. Together, we drive conventions, meetings, and tourism that sustain our hotels, support tens of thousands of jobs, and contribute significantly to the tax base,” said Alex Bastian, Hotel Council of San Francisco President and CEO. “Ken Bukowski has been an incredible partner to our industry. We thank him wholeheartedly for his years of dedication and leadership at Moscone and across the City. We wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.”

Prior to becoming Convention Facilities Director, Bukowski served as Deputy City Administrator and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the City Administrator’s Office. During his time as Deputy City Administrator, he served as Interim Director of the Department of Technology, first in 2013 and again in 2016, twice directly oversaw the day-to-day activities of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and served as Acting City Administrator prior to the appointment of Carmen Chu. Previously, he served as CFO for the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families, SFPD, and the Department of Technology.

Ken’s retirement is effective on June 30.

City Administrator Carmen Chu today simultaneously announced that Sophie Hayward, current Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for the City Administrator’s Office, will succeed Bukowski as the Director of Convention Facilities. Her appointment is effective July 1.

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