Membership and Seat Qualifications
The below listed summary of seats, term expirations and membership information shall serve as notice of vacancies, upcoming term expirations, and information on currently held seats, appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Appointments by other bodies are listed, if available.
Seat numbers listed as “VACANT” are open for immediate appointment. However, you are able to submit applications for all seats and your application will be maintained for one year, in the event that an unexpected vacancy or opening occurs.
Seat: 1
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Gayle Tsern Strang
Term Ending: 12/31/2028
Qualifications:
Must be licensed architects meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for historic architecture.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 2
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Hans Baldauf
Term Ending: 12/31/2026
Qualifications:
Must be licensed architects meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for historic architecture.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 3
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Eleanor Cox
Term Ending: 12/31/2028
Qualifications:
Must be an architectural historian meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for architectural history with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in North American or Bay Area architectural history.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 4
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Robert Vergara
Term Ending: 12/31/2026
Qualifications:
Must be a historian meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for history with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in North American or Bay Area history.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 5
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Chris Foley
Term Ending: 12/31/2028
Qualifications:
Must be a historic preservation professional or professional in a field such as law, land use, community planning or urban design with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in historic preservation or historic preservation planning.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 6
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Dan Baroni
Term Ending: 12/31/2026
Qualifications:
Shall be specially qualified in one of the following fields or in one of the fields set forth for Seats 1, 2, or 3: (a) - A professional archeologist meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for Archeology; (b) - A real estate professional or contractor who has demonstrated a special interest, competence, experience, and knowledge in historic preservation; (c) - A licensed structural engineer with at least four years of experience in seismic and structural engineering principals applied to historic structures; or (d) - A person with training and professional experience with materials conservation.
Term: 4-years
Seat: 7
Appointing Authority: Mayor
Seat Holder: Diane Matsuda
Term Ending: 12/31/2028
Qualifications:
Shall be an at large seat subject to the minimum qualifications set forth above.
Term: 4-years
Seats 1-7 are nominated by the Mayor; subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors.
Application Process
For seats appointed by other Authorities please contact the Board / Commission / Committee / Task Force (see below) or the appointing authority directly.
Description:
Proposition J, on the November 4, 2008 ballot, amended the Charter to create an independent Historic Preservation Commission, which shall advise the City on historic preservation matters, participate in processes that involve historic or cultural resources, and take such other actions concerning historic preservation as may be prescribed by ordinance. The proposed Charter amendment would end the service of all current members of the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board as of December 31, 2008. The Commission shall have the authority to recommend approval, disapproval, or modification of landmark designations and historic district designations under the Planning Code to the Board of Supervisors. The Planning Commission would have 45 days to comment on the HPC recommendation regarding landmarks designations and provide comments to the Board of Supervisors. Certain matters of the Board of Supervisors would be required to be referred to the HPC prior to passage by the Board of Supervisors, including ordinances and resolutions concerning historic preservation issues of historic resources, redevelopment project plans and waterfront plans.
The Historic Preservation Commission shall consist of seven members nominated by the Mayor and subject to approval by a majority of the Board of Supervisors. The original appointments shall have four members with four-year terms and three members with two-year terms as follows: the odd-numbered seats shall be for 4-year terms and the even-numbered seats shall be for 2-year terms. After the expiration of the original terms, all appointments shall be four-year terms, provided however, that a member may holdover until a successor has been nominated by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors. There shall be no limit on the number of terms a member may serve.
Within 60 days of the expiration of a term or other vacancy the Mayor shall nominate a qualified person to fill the vacant seat subject to approval by a majority of the Board of Supervisors who shall hold a public hearing and vote on the nomination within 60 days of the Mayor's transmittal of the nomination to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. If the Mayor fails to make such nomination within 60 days, the nomination may be made by the President of the Board of Supervisors, subject to the approval of a majority of the Board of Supervisors Members of this Commission shall be persons specially qualified by reason of interest, competence, knowledge, training and experience in the historic, architectural, aesthetic, and cultural traditions of the City, interested in the preservation of its historic structures, sites and areas, and residents of the City.
- Seats 1 and 2 must be licensed architects meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for historic architecture.
- Seat 3 must be an architectural historian meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for architectural history with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in North American or Bay Area architectural history.
- Seat 4 must be a historian meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for history with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in North American or Bay Area history.
- Seat 5 must be a historic preservation professional or professional in a field such as law, land use, community planning or urban design with specialized training and/or demonstrable experience in historic preservation or historic preservation planning.
- Seat 6 shall be specially qualified in one of the following fields or in one of the fields set forth for Seats 1, 2, or 3: (a) - A professional archeologist meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for Archeology; (b) - A real estate professional or contractor who has demonstrated a special interest, competence, experience, and knowledge in historic preservation; (c) - A licensed structural engineer with at least four years of experience in seismic and structural engineering principals applied to historic structures; or (d) - A person with training and professional experience with materials conservation.
Seat 7 shall be an at large seat subject to the minimum qualifications set forth above.
The Commission shall be staffed by the Planning Department.
Holdover Information:
(Charter § 4.135.) Holdover tenure of commissioners is permitted until a successor has been nominated by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Authority:
Charter Amendment, Prop. J, November 4, 2008 election.
Sunset Date:
None
Contact:
Jonas Ionin
Planning Department
1650 Mission Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 558-6307
jonas.ionin@sfgov.org
Updated: December 22, 2025