SF Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie Taps Former Giants Executive to Lead Staff

San Francisco’s incoming mayor, Daniel Lurie, announced the first members of his City Hall lineup on Thursday, leading off with former Giants vice president Staci Slaughter as his chief of staff.

Lurie also named longtime City Hall staffer Matthew Goudeau, who served as a senior adviser on his campaign, as deputy chief of staff. Political strategist Han Zou, who worked on Lurie’s campaign this year as well as earlier campaigns for Assemblymember Matt Haney and Congresswoman-elect Lateefah Simon, will be director of public affairs.

“This is a leadership team with a proven track record of challenging the status quo and delivering meaningful results,” Lurie said in a statement. “They share my commitment to accountability, service, and change, and I’m proud to have them by my side as we tackle San Francisco’s most pressing challenges head-on.”

The three appointments come just after Lurie on Wednesday announced he plans to change up the governance structure of the mayor’s office when he officially steps into the role next month. Instead of having the city’s 56 departments report to a single policy director and chief of staff, Lurie plans to bring on four policy directors, along with his chief of staff, who will all report directly to the mayor.

The four policy directors will focus on housing and economic development; infrastructure, climate and mobility; public health and well-being; and public safety. Lurie has not yet announced who the policy directors will be.

Between now and inauguration on Jan. 8, Lurie is meeting with a team of advisers to craft his first 100 days in office and finalize his picks for senior positions. The advisory group includes OpenAI founder Sam Altman, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and former San Francisco City Controller Ben Rosenfield.

Lurie, a philanthropist and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune with no experience in elected office, defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed this November after running as an outsider vowing to bring renewed accountability to City Hall. So far, his picks for his official staff reflect a mix of insiders and outsiders.

In addition to serving as an executive for the Giants, Slaughter has previously served as an adviser to former San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan — who endorsed Lurie — as well as former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

“San Francisco has immense challenges, but they are greatly outweighed by our unique and enormous opportunities,” Slaughter said in a statement. “I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve the city I love and to help Mayor-elect Lurie execute his vision for a safer and more affordable San Francisco.”

Goudeau brings nearly two decades of experience working for previous mayoral administrations in roles including deputy chief of protocol and director of grants for the arts.

Zou, meanwhile, has emerged as a sharp political organizer in the Bay Area and worked as a legislative aide for then-District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney from 2019 to 2022.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve the mayor-elect and the people of San Francisco,” Zou said. “Having seen how hard he worked on the campaign, I know how hard he will work for the people of this great city, and I’m grateful to be a part of the team that’s going to turn around San Francisco.”