SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, December 23, Mayor London Breed appointed hydrologist Dr. Newsha Ajami to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
“Dr. Ajami will bring a fresh perspective to the commission’s efforts to deliver clean power in our fight against climate change, improve our water and wastewater management, and create more resilient and sustainable infrastructure,” tweeted Mayor Breed.
Her appointment comes after former General Manager of the SFPUC Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. submitted his resignation letter on November 30, 2020 after federal prosecutors charged him with fraud.
If confirmed by the board, Dr. Ajami will join the SFPUC’s other four members: Sophie Maxwell, Anson Moran, Tim Paulson, and Ed Harrington.
Dr. Ajami is currently the Director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford University, a position she has held since December 2013.
In addition, Dr. Ajami is a board member of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, a position she has held since July 2013.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran, Iran in 1998.
She received her Master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona in Tuscan, Arizona in 2003. In 2006, she graduated with her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Ajami must be confirmed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
