Board of Supervisors Approve Mayor Breed's Appointments to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

San Francisco, CA - Mayor London N. Breed's three nominees for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) were approved today by the Board of Supervisors. Avni Jamdar will fill Commissioner Newsha Ajami's seat and Steve Leveroni will replace Commissioner Tim Paulson, whose terms have concluded. Joshua Arce will fill the seat previously held by Sophie Turner who resigned in the spring.

Jamdar and Leveroni's will serve a full four-year term, and Arce will finish a current four-year term that ends in 2026.

The SFPUC Commission consists of five members, nominated by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Their responsibility is to provide operational oversight in areas such as rates and charges for services, approval of contracts, and organizational policy.

Avni Jamdar, SFPUC Commission Environmental Justice and Policy Seat

Avni Jamdar currently serves as the Director for the Northern California region for Emerald Cities, working to advance zero carbon project opportunities, facilitate community workforce agreement negotiations and implementation, and leads community engagement efforts to center equity in environmental policies. Jamdar brings a range of expertise on environmental issues as she fills Seat 1 on the Commission, which is s reserved for someone with experience in environmental policy and an understanding of environmental justice issues. The SFPUC provides quality drinking water and wastewater services to the City of San Francisco, wholesale water to three Bay Area counties, and green hydroelectric and solar power to the City's municipal departments.

"With a wealth of experience in community workforce development in the clean tech sector, Avni is uniquely qualified to help advance our work of engaging with communities to craft environmental policies with an eye on equity and justice," Mayor Breed said. "I look forward to partnering with Avni to continue to build a diverse workforce to deliver services to our residents and, together, be the best stewards of our resources we can be."

"I am honored to be appointed by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to the PUC for the Environmental Justice and Policy seat," said Avni Jamdar. "I'd like to see the PUC and CleanPowerSF advance more community and equity focused programming, so we can create a diverse pipeline of workers and contractors, as well as having the ability to better serve low-income ratepayers as a priority with strong community benefits for environmental justice communities."

Additionally, Jamdar leads the design and implementation of the E-Contractor Academy, a minority, woman, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprise (MWDVBE) contractor training program focused on the building decarbonization and renewable sectors. She has successfully led several community engagement processes in San Francisco, the Bay Area and across California to engage diverse stakeholders to design building decarbonization policies, projects, and climate action plans with a focus on equity. Jamdar was appointed to the SFPUC's Citizen Advisory Committee by Mayor Ed Lee in 2012.

Avni Jamdar holds a Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a diploma in architecture from the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, India.

Joshua Arce, SFPUC Commission Ratepayer and Consumer Advocate Seat

Joshua Arce is currently Special Assistant with the Northern California District Council of Laborers (NCDCL), which represents nearly 30,000 union members. He is filling the seat previously held by Sophie Maxwell, who resigned in the spring, and will serve in this seat for the remainder of a four-year term that ends in 2026.

Having served in various State and City roles representing laborers, ratepayers and workforce development for the City, and a highly regarded Latino community advocate, Arce will finish the remaining term in Seat 2, which is reserved for ratepayer and consumer advocacy.

"Josh Arce has dedicated his career to advocate for better services and advancement opportunities for communities across San Francisco and the region, and I'm proud to nominate him for this role," said Mayor Breed. "PUC customers expect the City to be focused on their needs and be responsive to their concerns. Josh's experience defending the interests of people who have been historically underserved and being that trusted voice will help us do just that."

"I'm grateful to Mayor Breed for her nomination and thank the Board of Supervisors for their confirmation to serve as the Public Utilities Commission's ratepayer advocate," said Joshua Arce. "As someone who has spent my career helping everyday people, I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners to support our world-class SFPUC and its committed agency staff in providing customers high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests."

Prior to his current work with the NCDCL, Arce was appointed by Mayor Breed in 2018 to serve as the Director of Workforce Development for the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). He also served as President of the San Francisco Commission on the Environment. Prior to serving in City leadership roles, Arce was the Director of CityBuild, a construction pre-apprenticeship training program, and the Executive Director of the Brightline Defense Project where he represented ratepayers in California Public Utilities Commission proceedings regarding low-income energy savings and efficiency programs, as well as economic opportunity policies.

Joshua Arce holds a JD from UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings), and a BA from UCLA.

"We're really looking forward to working with these new commissioners," SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera said. "This is a pivotal time for the SFPUC as we grow into the utility of the future. We're working to expand our industry-leading clean energy services, embarking on a new chapter in native species habitat restoration in our water system, and making generational investments to our sewer system to further protect the environment and public health. Commissioners Jamdar, Arce, and Leveroni are going to play a vital role in guiding our work going forward, and we welcome them to the SFPUC."

Steve Leveroni, SFPUC Commission Project Finance Seat

Steve Leveroni, who is replacing Commissioner Tim Paulson following his term expiring, will bring decades of finance experience to Seat 3 for the SFPUC. He has worked in the insurance and banking industries for over 40 years.

Following an early career in the banking industry, Leveroni joined his sister to assume ownership and management of one of Silicon Valley's oldest and most respected independent insurance brokerage firms, JLV Insurance Services. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Founding Principal at Newfront Insurance Services, which merged with his prior firm ABD Insurance in 2021.

"I know that Steve, as a fourth generation San Franciscan with deep roots in the City, will be dedicated to ensuring that the SFPUC provides the City's residents with the water, power and sewer services they rely on and deserve," Mayor Breed said. "Steve is a successful entrepreneur with extensive experience in the insurance and banking industries, so I also know that we can count on him to take the role of fiscal stewardship of such an important agency seriously."

"I want to express my appreciation to Mayor Breed, and to members of the Board of Supervisors, for the opportunity to serve the millions of customers who rely on the SFPUC's water, wastewater, and electric power services," Steve Leveroni said. "I look forward to working with my Commission colleagues to apply my financial and analytical skills to ensure these services are delivered, maintained, and managed with integrity, fiscal responsibility, and accountability." The goal of becoming a zero-emission city by 2030 is laudable and attainable if we work collaboratively and apply the diverse experiences and talents of Commissioners and staff to the important decisions and investments that lie ahead."

Born and raised in San Francisco, Leveroni serves as President of the Board of Italian Community Services, which owns the building that houses the Club Fugazi space. He also serves as the Chair of the Board of the Italian Heritage Parade.

The SFPUC Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, unless otherwise noted on the agenda. Meetings take place at San Francisco City Hall, Room 400, and begin at 1:30 p.m.

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