Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie names six key City Hall staffers, including well-known philanthropist

Mission Local is tracking Daniel Lurie’s appointments on a live page here, where you can see the comings and goings at the major city departments and the mayor’s office as they happen. 

As the Jan. 8 inauguration day approaches, incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie named another six key City Hall staffers including a philanthropist as chief of protocol and a legislative aide as the liaison to the Board of Supervisors. Both replace current Mayor London Breed’s selections. 

Philanthropist Penny Coulter will replace Maryam Muduroglu as the new chief of protocol. Adam Thongsavat, current legislative aide to District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, will replace Tom Paulino to become the liaison to the board of supervisors. 

Coulter is the president of the Coulter Family Foundation, which is a nonprofit that offers funding to medical research and improving healthcare access in resource-limited areas. She currently sits on the board of trustees of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the University of California San Francisco Foundation’s board of directors, and many more. 

As chief of protocol, Coulter will welcome foreign officials, heads of state, diplomats, and scholars from around the world. She will also organize major civic events, and foster international relationships. 

Thongsavat is the chief policy advisor on issues such as homelessness, behavioral health, small businesses, and LGBTQ for Mandelman and has worked at Mandelman’s office since January 2023. As Lurie’s liaison to the board of supervisors, Thongsavat is crucial to support the legislative process for Lurie’s initiatives and facilitate Lurie’s relationship to the new board.

Lurie tapped Andre Adeyemi in as his director of appointments, who will help Lurie find good candidates for the city’s boards and commissions. 

Most recently, Adeyemi has been an associate at Rich Talent Group, which specializes in diversity in executive search within consumer tech and Fortune 100 organizations. Currently, Adeyemi is the chief of staff at Zep AI.

Aly Bonde, who led the policy development for Lurie’s successful mayoral campaign, will continue to work for Lurie as his policy advisor. Most recently, Bonde served as the director of government relations at Planned Parenthood Northern California.

Lurie also named Ernest “EJ” Jones as the director of community affairs. Jones is known most recently as the District 11 supervisorial candidate who finished in third place after Chyanne Chen and Michael Lai. Jones has deep roots in the Lakeview and the OMI neighborhoods, and previously served as a legislative aide to termed-out supervisor Ahsha Safaí for about two years. 

Eileen Mariano, the granddaughter of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has been Breed’s manager of state and federal legislative affairs since Aug. 2023. She is keeping her job in Lurie’s administration. 

“This is a group of leaders who are ready to meet the moment and deliver for the people of San Francisco,” Lurie said in a press release. “Each of these individuals brings exceptional expertise and a deep commitment to accountability, service, and change.”