Termed-out Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf holds her final press conference on Dec. 21 at City Hall. She has been named the interim executive director for Emerge California, an organization that trains women to run for elected office.
Yalonda M. James / The ChronicleFormer Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who left office at the end of 2022, has been named the interim executive director for Emerge California, an organization that trains women to run for elected office.
Schaaf, who led the city for eight years, also will teach a class at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy on public and private partnerships. Her first class is on Wednesday evening.
The appointments come amid speculation on whether Schaaf might seek another elected office, as East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee eyes a possible U.S. Senate seat and State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) terms out next year.
In a statement to The Chronicle, Schaaf said she is “thrilled” to be taking over at Emerge California, where she attended a training in 2009. Schaaf said the organization’s mission is impactful and urgent.
“More than ever, we need diverse women at the decision-making tables, so all Californians can thrive,” she said.
Rhodesia Ransom, vice chair of Emerge California’s board, said Schaaf is a “a dynamic and effective leader and one of Emerge California’s most devoted advocates. We are confident that she will continue to move Emerge California forward as an influential force in changing the face of power and politics in our state.”
Schaaf termed-out as Oakland’s leader in January when newly elected Mayor Sheng Thao took over.
Schaaf said her legacy includes continuous efforts to address education inequities, poverty and homelessness. But Oaklanders had a mixed view of her track record — with growing frustration over skyrocketing homelessness and gun violence, as well as the rising cost of living.
An Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll ahead of last November’s election showed voters were largely dissatisfied with the city. Nearly two-thirds of the poll’s respondents said they felt Oakland was headed in the wrong direction. That dissatisfaction also extended to the city’s leadership: some 42% of the poll’s respondents rated Schaaf’s performance poorly and 51% said they viewed the City Council unfavorably.
At her final State of the City speech in October , Schaaf highlighted her “public-private partnerships,” through which she raised money to fund projects during her eight years in office — a key focus of the class she plans to teach at UC Berkeley. Throughout her tenure, Schaaf has become known for using philanthropy to launch new programs in the city.
That includes the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation, which works to test ideas that could improve the city and then bring them to scale. The fund partnered with Keep Oakland Housed, a private partnership that started in the mayor’s office to work on homelessness prevention. Since Keep Oakland Housed started up in 2018, the group said it has prevented homelessness for more than 7,000 households.
Schaaf’s private and public partnerships also includes the city’s guaranteed income pilot program, which gives $500 a month to 600 residents for 18 months with no strings attached. Schaaf worked with private donors to create the program, which at the time, was one of the largest guaranteed-income pilot projects in the country, but still just a drop in the bucket in addressing the need.
Schaaf also brought the public-private approach to addressing homelessness. Oakland’s community cabin program , which houses unsheltered residents in tiny cabins, started when Schaaf raised enough money to open the first community. Residents later followed her lead and raised money on their own to build more cabins.
Now, the cabin community program has become an integral part of the city’s strategy on addressing homelessness.
Schaaf’s most prominent public-private partnership is Oakland Promise, an initiative she started in 2016 that supports city high school graduates’ higher education ambitions through college savings accounts and financial coaching.
In August, Schaaf announced the Oakland Generation Fund , a $50 million effort to expand two programs to give college scholarships and savings accounts to every public school student from a low-income family in the city by 2026. The fund would continue through 2035.
“It’s about the power of hope,” Schaaf said while announcing the initiative in August. “The power of a vision. Of a thriving future. Hope makes people healthier. It motivates people to stay in school, to think about careers. To have less stress. To focus on a bright future.”
Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
