Governing Board

The Governing Board of the Authority is comprised of local elected officials and oversees the management and funding allocations of the Authority. Information on Governing Board meetings can be found here: http://sfbayrestore.org/meetings.

John grew up in Richmond and earned a BA in Political Science and a law degree at U.C. Berkeley.

He was first elected to the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors in 1998 and has been overwhelmingly re-elected five times and represents 210,000 residents along San Francisco Bay in the western most urban and diverse area of the county. He previously served for 10 years on the East Bay Municipal Utility District Board, serving as President in 1995 and 1996.

John is a recognized leader in Bay Area regional government and on air quality and climate change issues. He was appointed by Governor Brown in 2013 to the California Air Resources Board and has served on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board since 2006, serving as Chair in 2012.

John served as President of the California State Association of Counties and has been a leader on environmental issues and serves on the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and as Vice-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority where he helped lead an effort to pass an historic measure to raise $500 million for S.F. Bay.

John helped found the RYSE Center, an innovative and popular youth center in Richmond, which is grounded on principles of social justice and youth development. He is currently working with non-profit Urban Tilth to develop an urban educational farm in North Richmond.

Supervisor Lisa Gauthier was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in November 2024. She represents District 4, which includes the cities of Redwood City, East Palo Alto, the areas within Menlo Park east of El Camino Real and including the Belle Haven neighborhood, and the unincorporated community of North Fair Oaks.

Inspired by her daughter, Supervisor Gauthier began her journey into public service in 2012 when she was elected to the East Palo Alto City Council. She has held the positions of Vice Mayor in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and Mayor in 2015, 2019, and 2023. During her tenure, she led the city through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and major storms. Her leadership during these crises is among her proudest achievements.

In addition to her roles in city government, Supervisor Gauthier served as the Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Belonging at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. In this capacity, she leads policy areas including Workforce/Education, Racial Justice & Equity, and Healthcare.

Karen Holman, Vice President of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors, has been active in the community for many years, including a long public record of environmental stewardship. She was a member of both Acterra and the City of Palo Alto Zero Waste Task Forces and has had roles in neighborhood associations and numerous non-profit organizations. In Palo Alto over the last 17 years she served as mayor, city councilmember, and planning commissioner. In 2013-14, Karen co-chaired the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Advisory Committee, contributing to the creation of the District’s Vision Plan.

Born and raised in Missouri, Karen has lived in Palo Alto since 1975. Karen had a long career in graphic design before pursuing work in the conservation and historic preservation field, including serving as Executive Director of the Palo Alto History Museum. She holds a B.A. in graphic arts from the University of Arkansas.