Carla Short
Carla Short was appointed Director of San Francisco Public Works by Mayor London Breed on Nov. 8, 2023. She had been serving as Interim Director since August 2021.
Prior to serving in the department’s top post, Short was superintendent of the Bureau of Urban Forestry. She began her career with Public Works in 2004 as the City’s Urban Forester and became superintendent in 2015. She filled in as the department’s Deputy Director for Operations for eight months starting in fall 2019 and served as deputy chief of the Bureau of Street-use and Mapping.
During her tenure at the Bureau of Urban Forestry, she led the development and implementation of StreetTreeSF, a voter-approved initiative that transferred maintenance responsibility of San Francisco’s 124,000-plus street trees to Public Works and created a sustainable funding stream to pay for the program.
Short holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and English from Vassar College. She also studied African literature, history, religion and culture at University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
Prior to joining Public Works, she worked for several nonprofits, including Conservation International, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone and Tombo Wallah Farmers Association, spearheading conservation initiatives in West Africa.
She is a Certified Arborist under the International Society of Arboriculture.
“I am honored and humbled to take on this new leadership role,” Short said. “I see firsthand the good work that Public Works employees demonstrate every day to serve the people of San Francisco, partner with our diverse communities and improve our neighborhoods.”
Mission
San Francisco Public Works is one of the largest and most complex municipal operations in the City, with a 1,600-member workforce and a $384 million annual operating budget. The department's active capital project portfolio exceeds $3 billion. As one of San Francisco oldest City departments, it is also one of the most forward-thinking. Keeping San Francisco beautiful, safe and sustainable.
Additional Resources
Follow us: 
