Rachael Tanner | Taking Care of Business EVERY DAY.
Rachael A. Tanner enjoys a diverse and eclectic career and rich civic life from her base in San Francisco, California.
A leader in planning, land use, and public policy, Rachael serves as the Director of Citywide Planning for the City and County of San Francisco. Surrounded by the best long-range planning team in the state of California and under Rich Hillis’ leadership, Rachael works closely with the mayor, Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and other stakeholders. Together, we chart the City’s path into the future.
As an entrepreneur, Rachael built practices in different disciplines from wedding officiating, career and life coaching, and organizational development. She enjoys contributing to numerous civic projects, nurturing developing ideas, and providing guidance to others.
Career & Education
Rachael trained as a City Planner at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning her Master’s Degree in City Planning in 2013 (MCP). She has served local governments throughout California (Long Beach, San Francisco, Palo Alto) working on policy, planning, implementation, capital projects, grant writing and administration, and staff training and development. Most recently, Rachael served as the Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services for the City of Palo Alto, California.
In the late 2000’s, Rachael served as Executive Director of Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community (ISAAC), a community-based organization in Kalamazoo, Michigan. There she learned how to organize, build winning coalitions for policy change, and hold government accountable to implementing successful programs.
She earned her Political Science Bachelor’s Degree with minors in Spanish and also Urban Studies from the University of Michigan. At Michigan she co-founded the Semester in Detroit program, which continues to serve students today.
Civic Service
From 2020 to 2024, Rachael served on the San Francisco Planning Commission, including two years (2022 and 2023) as its President. Nominated by Mayor Breed and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, Rachael was pleased to support the post-pandemic recovery of the City, the adoption of the 2023 - 2030 Housing Element of the General Plan, and numerous residential and commercial projects brought before the Commission.
Rachael also supports the Presidio Bay Foundation, exposing underrepresented students to careers in the real estate industry.
Every Day
Rachael lives in San Francisco. In her free time, you can find her playing board games, hiking walks, enjoying live performances, exploring California, and watching her 4 nieces and 3 nephews grow. Catch her IRL at Glide Memorial Church on Sunday mornings!
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