Contract Approved for Dennis Herrera to Take Over as SFPUC's General Manager
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The contract for San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera to serve as the new General Manager for the SF Public Utilities Commission was approved Tuesday, according to city officials.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed's office issued a press release regarding the action Tuesday afternoon. The release noted that Herrera has been serving as San Francisco City Attorney for the past two decades and "will bring decades of experience serving City residents and advancing environmental policies around clean water and renewable energy through his nationally-recognized office."
Breed nominated Herrera to serve as General Manager for the SFPUC back in April. In June, the SFPUC Commission officially recommended him to serve as the agency's next GM.
The SFPUC has been seeking a new general manager since former general manager Harlan Kelly resigned in November 2020. Federal prosecutors charged Kelly with wire fraud, accusing him of accepting gifts including cash and vacations from a construction company executive seeking to secure a multi-million-dollar contract with the city.
With the ratification of his contract by the commission, Herrera will officially begin serving as SFPUC General Manager on November 1.
"With the Commission approving Dennis Herrera's contract, I am glad we can now move forward with a new era for the SFPUC," Mayor Breed said in the press release. "Dennis's long track record of integrity and ethical leadership, as well as his experience leading on issues from civil rights to environmental protection to renewable energy, has demonstrated the type of leadership he will bring to this new role.
"I am confident that he is the right person at the right time for this job, and I fully expect the SFPUC to continue moving forward programs like CleanPowerSF and our ambitious efforts around public power," the mayor continued.
"I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work for all of the SFPUC's ratepayers," Herrera said. "It's an honor to have this unique opportunity to face the challenges of our time as the General Manager of the SFPUC. We are in a historic drought fueled by climate change. PG&E's unsafe and unreliable management of the power grid hampers our ability to meet our climate change goals. Now is the time to make real progress."
Herrera also tweeted out his appreciation to the mayor.
