Libby Schaaf serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bay Area Council, bringing a distinguished career at the intersection of business, government, and civic leadership. A nationally recognized executive, she is known for delivering results on housing, economic development, infrastructure, and workforce equity while building durable public-private partnerships.
Schaaf previously served as the two-term Mayor of Oakland from 2015 to 2022, where she led one of the nation’s most diverse cities through a period of economic growth and transformation. During her tenure, Oakland saw its largest housing production boom in a century, historically low unemployment, and sustained reductions in gun violence.
Her public-private partnerships Keep Oakland Housed, Community Cabins, and Oakland Promise advanced innovative approaches to homelessness and cradle-to-career opportunity. She also modernized city operations by establishing Oakland’s Department of Transportation and 311 system.
A proven fiscal steward, Schaaf increased Oakland’s revenues from $950 million to $1.3 billion while maintaining balanced budgets and achieving the city’s highest credit rating.
Schaaf is an accomplished educator and thought leader, having faculty positions at UC Berkeley and Northeastern University in public finance and public-private partnerships, and has held fellowships at the Aspen Institute, Harvard and Stanford Universities.
She is a respected national and global voice on sustainability, representing U.S. cities at United Nations convenings on climate and sustainable development and with global networks of city leaders. She is a frequent speaker at leading national and global forums, and her writing has appeared in major publications such as Time, The Washington Post, and CalMatters.
Following her mayoralty, Schaaf served as Executive Director and Senior Advisor to Emerge California, supporting women leaders in public service, and helped launch the Abundance Elected Network. She currently serves as HUD’s appointee to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority.
Earlier in her career, Schaaf held senior roles with the Port of Oakland, the Oakland City Council, and practiced law at Reed Smith. She holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School and a B.A. with honors from Rollins College.
At the Bay Area Council, Schaaf leads efforts to engage business and civic leaders in advancing the Bay Area’s long-term success and competitiveness.
