Sen. Dianne Feinstein Leaves Behind an Expansive Legacy of Leadership, Accomplishment, Service

San Francisco, California and the nation lost a transformational leader today with the passing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose remarkable and trailblazing career spanned a half century and was defined by her tough, intelligent, and principled approach to politics and governance. Her dedication to public service was matched only by her courage in taking on tough issues, her pragmatism in working across the aisle to find solutions and her resilience and strength in the face of adversity. The Bay Area Council was honored to partner with her on so many initiatives to improve and advance the Bay Area. She secured untold federal funding for key transportation projects, led the fight against efforts to dismantle the Hetch Hetchy water and energy system and fought tirelessly to protect the Bay and invest in environmental health, among so many other accomplishments that are too numerous to list here.

Council CEO Jim Wunderman served as a senior advisor to Sen. Feinstein during her time as mayor of San Francisco and maintained a close friendship with her throughout their lives. Just this past summer, Jim was fortunate to meet with Sen. Feinstein at her residence in D.C., where she shared her reflections with him on her long and storied career. In a statement today, Jim fondly recalled the senior Senator:

“It was a deep honor and privilege to know and work for Sen. Dianne Feinstein when she served as the first woman Mayor of San Francisco. She had a huge influence on my life and deeply affected my view of public service. She led the city out of a period of great turmoil through personal dedication, determination and a drive to always do what was best, what was right. She demanded a lot and gave even more. Her myriad accomplishments bear examination as they set the mark for what is possible in city leadership. As a US Senator, she was a unique trailblazer who proudly and capably represented our state and served our country with great dignity and always showed great respect for the office. Her successful fight to pass the assault weapons ban in 1994 exemplifies her willingness and ability to work across the aisle to attack our biggest challenges. I recently had the opportunity to meet with her at home in Washington DC and had the chance to hear her reflect on her life. Today truly marks the end of an era.”

The Council extends its deepest condolences to Sen. Feinstein’s family and friends.