Mayor Lurie Appoints Community Leaders, Policy Experts to Key Commissions, Boards, Committees

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced five new appointments and three reappointments to city commissions, boards, and committees, bringing community leaders and policy experts into key roles for the city. Mayor Lurie’s new appointments include Dan Calamuci to the Building Inspection Commission, Rebecca Saroyan to the San Francisco Board of Appeals, Thomas Smegal to the Public Utilities Citizens’ Advisory Committee, and Tara Sullivan and Gayle Tsern Strang to the Historic Preservation Commission. He also reappointed Mike Chen to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors and Chris Foley and Diane Miyeko Matsuda to the Historic Preservation Commission.

“This group of leaders has proven their commitment to their communities and our city,” said Mayor Lurie. “I look forward to working with all of them to leverage their experience and insight to support our departments’ work across the city. Together, we’ll work to ensure our city is operating at the highest level to serve all San Franciscans.”

Dan Calamuci is a seasoned labor strategist and policy expert with more than two decades of experience advancing workers’ rights, public policy, and strategic campaigns. He currently serves as senior representative for strategic campaigns and research at the Nor Cal Carpenters Union. Dan holds a master's in labor studies from University of Massachusetts Amherst and brings a powerful mix of grassroots organizing and public policy acumen to every role he takes on.

Mike Chen brings more than five years of experience advising SFMTA. As an active San Francisco community member, he is involved in neighborhood improvement groups that focus on addressing housing and transportation needs and improving the city’s neighborhoods. Chen works as an analytics engineer and holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Foley is a seasoned real estate broker and developer with more than 30 years of experience who founded multiple companies—Polaris Pacific, Totomic, and Ground Matrix. Beyond his business ventures, Foley is engaged in community revitalization through pro bono and philanthropic real estate work. His involvement includes strategic planning, fundraising, and resource coordination, emphasizing his commitment to community development alongside his commercial success.

Diane Miyeko Matsuda is a lifelong advocate for the preservation of community history and culture. A native of San Francisco and resident of Japantown, she has dedicated her career to safeguarding both tangible and intangible heritage. Matsuda has played a key role in landmark designations, oral history projects, and the preservation of small businesses through initiatives like the Legacy Business Registry. She coordinates the Japanese American History Archives, serves as director of special projects at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California and practices law with Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach. She holds a J.D. from University of California College of the Law (UC Law), San Francisco and a B.A. from the University of San Francisco.

Rebecca Saroyan is an experienced public sector attorney and has served as assistant regional counsel at the U.S. General Services Administration for nearly two decades. She also served as a deputy city attorney for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office where she advised the Department of the Environment, the Port of San Francisco, the Health Service System, and the Health Service Board.  With a J.D. from UC Law San Francisco, Saroyan brings a wealth of knowledge in public sector legal policy, infrastructure, energy and environmental issues, and civic leadership.

Thomas Smegal currently serves as chief executive officer and general manager of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. He has held several executive roles at California Water Service Group, including vice president and chief financial officer. A licensed civil engineer, Smegal brings both technical and policy expertise to complex regional water issues. He holds degrees in civil engineering and history from Stanford and pursued graduate studies at UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group.

Gayle Tsern Strang is an architect with more than 25 years of experience spanning private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Currently serving in the Office of the Circuit Executive for the U.S. Courts, Ninth Circuit, Strang advises on facility and security design for a range of historic federal courthouses across the western United States. She holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California. She actively contributes to the arts and community through her board roles with Noe Valley Chamber Music, Del Sol Performing Arts Organization, and the FruitGuys Community Fund.

Tara Sullivan is a seasoned land use attorney with roots in San Francisco’s planning and development landscape. Currently an attorney at Reuben, Junius & Rose, LLP, she brings a wealth of experience navigating complex zoning, environmental, and real estate matters. Sullivan previously served as a senior planner and legislative liaison with the San Francisco Planning Department and holds advanced degrees from Columbia University in historic preservation and urban planning, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and a B.A. from Skidmore College.