Commissioners
The Commission has 27 members (and their alternates). Commissioners include members of the public, and officials who represent federal, state, and local governments.
Members of the Commission
R. Zachary Wasserman, Commission Chair
Governor appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Governor Brown
appointed on: 02/14/2012
Alternate vacant
Rebecca Eisen, Commission Vice Chair
Governor appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Governor Newsom
appointed on: 06/02/2022
Alternate vacant
Mark Addiego, Commissioner
Association of Bay Area Governments appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Association of Bay Area Governments
appointed on: 01/20/2011
Alternate vacant
Eddie Ahn, Commissioner
Assembly Speaker appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Speaker of the Assembly
appointed on: 04/25/2018
Alternate vacant
Dr. Tessa Beach, Commissioner
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appointee
Alternate: Williams
appointed by: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
appointed on: 10/28/2019
Tommy Williams, Alternate
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appointee
Alternate to Beach
appointed by: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
appointed on: 10/28/2019
Stephen Benson, Commissioner
Department of Finance appointee
Alternate: Almy
appointed by: Department of Finance
appointed on: 10/02/2023
Matt Almy, Alternate
Department of Finance appointee
Alternate to Benson
appointed by: Department of Finance
appointed on: 06/02/2022
Ellen Blake, Commissioner
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
appointed on: 06/21/2022
Alternate vacant
Matt Dorsey, Commissioner
City and County of San Francisco appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: City and County of San Francisco
appointed on: 04/15/2025
Alternate vacant
Jenn Eckerle, Commissioner
Secretary of Natural Resources appointee
Alternate: Kimball
appointed by: Secretary of Natural Resources
appointed on: 01/22/2020
Justine Kimball, Alternate
Natural Resources appointee
Alternate to Eckerle
appointed by: Natural Resources Agency
appointed on: 09/21/2023
Pat Eklund, Commissioner
Association of Bay Area Governments appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Association of Bay Area Governments
appointed on: 09/16/2021
Alternate vacant
Vacant, Commissioner
California Department of Transportation appointee
Alternate: Ambuehl
appointed by: California State Transportation Agency
appointed on:
David Ambuehl, Alternate
California Department of Transportation appointee
Alternate to El-Tawansy
appointed by: California State Transportation Agency
appointed on: 08/15/2021
Lisa Gauthier, Commissioner
San Mateo County appointee
Alternate: Canepa
appointed by: San Mateo County
appointed on: 01/15/2025
David Canepa, Alternate
San Mateo County appointee
Alternate to Gauthier
appointed by: San Mateo County
appointed on: 01/12/2021
John Gioia, Commissioner
Contra Costa County appointee
Alternate: Shanelle Scales-Preston
appointed by: Contra Costa County
appointed on: 01/05/199
Shanelle Scales-Preston
Contra Costa County appointee
Alternate to: Gioia
Juan González, Commissioner
Association of Bay Area Governments appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Association of Bay Area Governments
appointed on: 03/20/2025
Alternate vacant
Dr. Andrew Gunther, Commissioner
Regional Water Quality Control Board appointee
Alternate: Belin
appointed by: Regional Water Quality Control Board
appointed on: 06/08/2020
Letty Belin, Alternate
Regional Water Quality Control Board appointee
Alternate to Gunther
appointed by: Regional Water Quality Control Board
appointed on: 9/14/2022
Karl Hasz, Commissioner
Governor appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Governor Newsom
appointed on: 07/01/2021
Alternate vacant
Rebecca Hermosillo, Commissioner
County of Sonoma appointee
Alternate: Rabbitt
appointed by: Sonoma County
appointed on: 01/07/2025
David Rabbitt, Alternate
County of Sonoma appointee
Alternate to Hermosillo
appointed by: Sonoma County
appointed on: 01/05/2021
Grace Kato, Commissioner
State Lands Commission appointee
Alternate: Pemberton
appointed by: State Lands Commission
appointed on: 12/26/2024
Sheri L. Pemberton, Alternate
State Lands Commission appointee
Alternate to Kato
appointed by: State Lands Commission
appointed on: 08/30/2012
Otto Lee, Commissioner
Santa Clara County appointee
Alternate: Kishimoto
appointed by: Santa Clara County
appointed on: 01/12/2021
Yoriko Kishimoto, Alternate
Santa Clara County appointee
Alternate to Lee
appointed by: Santa Clara County
appointed on: 08/18/2021
Mitch Mashburn, Commissioner
Solano County appointee
Alternate: Vasquez
appointed by: Solano County
appointed on: 1/10/2023
John Vasquez, Alternate
Solano County appointee
Alternate to Mashburn
appointed by: Solano County
appointed on: 01/10/2023
Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Commissioner
Marin County appointee
Alternate: Cox
appointed by: Marin County
appointed on: 01/12/2021
Joan Cox, Alternate
Marin County appointee
Alternate to Moulton-Peters
appointed by: Marin County
appointed on: 02/26/2025
Belia Ramos, Commissioner
Napa County appointee
Alternate: Manfree
appointed by: Napa County
appointed on: 01/05/2023
Amber Manfree, Alternate
Napa County appointee
Alternate to Ramos
appointed by: Napa County
appointed on: 01/07/2025
Commissioner vacant
Governor appointee
Barry Nelson, Alternate
Governor appointee
Alternate to Vacant
appointed by: Governor Brown
appointed on: 06/26/2018
R. Sean Randolph, Commissioner
Governor appointee
Alternate: Mendoca
appointed by: Governor Schwarzenegger
appointed on: 05/06/2005
Lenny Mendonca, Alternate
Governor appointee
Alternate to Randolph
appointed by: Governor Newsom
appointed on: 06/02/2022
Patricia Showalter, Commissioner
Senate Rules Committee appointee
Alternate: Lefkovits
appointed by: Senate Rules Committee
appointed on: 09/04/2019
Stephen Lefkovits, Alternate
Senate Rules Committee appointee
Alternate to Showalter
appointed by: Senate Rules Committee
appointed on: 06/08/2022
Lena Tam, Commissioner
Alameda County appointee
Alternate: Gilmore
appointed by: Alameda County
appointed on: 01/24/2023
Marie Gilmore, Alternate
Alameda County appointee
Alternate to Tam
appointed by: Alameda County
appointed on: 03/15/2011
Cecilia Taylor, Commissioner
Association of Bay Area Governments appointee
Alternate: Vacant
appointed by: Association of Bay Area Governments
appointed on: 03/20/2025
Alternate vacant
Legislative appointees
The Honorable Catherine Stefani
Assembly representative
Alternate: Falzon
Frankie Falzon, Alternate
Assembly Speaker appointee
appointed by:Speaker of the Assembly
appointed on: 02/13/2025
The Honorable Jesse Arreguin
Senate representative
Alternate: Amezcua
Cesar Zepeda, Alternate
Senate Alternate representative
appointed by:Senator Jesse Arreguin
appointed on: 08/3/2025
How Commissioners are appointed
The Commission has 27 members, who are appointed by the following officials and agencies:
- Five, including the chairman and vice-chairman, appointed by the Governor
- One appointed by the Speaker of the State Assembly
- One appointed by the State Senate Rules Committee
- One each appointed by the boards of supervisors of each of the nine Bay Area counties
- One each from a north, east, south, and west Bay city appointed by the Association of Bay Area Governments
- One from the California Business and Transportation Agency
- One from the California Department of Finance
- One from the California Resources Agency
- One from the California State Lands Commission
- One from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region
- One from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
- One from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
One member of the Senate, appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, and one member of the Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, also meet with and participate in the Commission, to the extent that their participation is not incompatible with their respective positions as members of the Legislature.
Ex parte communications
Ex parte communications are any oral or written communication about a pending adjudicatory action (e.g., permit, enforcement case, federal consistency review) that take place between a Commissioner (or Alternate) and a party to the adjudicatory action or a member of the public that occurs outside of an official Commission proceeding (e.g., regularly-noticed public meeting). Ex parte communications can raise concerns about due process and fairness.
The Commission’s regulations prohibit ex parte communications about pending adjudicatory actions. (In the case of a permit application or federal consistency review, this prohibition applies when the permit or consistency review is first submitted. In the case of an enforcement action, the prohibition applies when either a violation report or complaint for imposition of administrative civil penalties is mailed.) Commissioners have a duty to publicly disclose on the record the contents of any prohibited ex parte communications.
If ex parte communications occur in writing, the Commissioner must submit a copy of the written communication and any response to the Executive Director as soon as practicable for inclusion into the record for the matter that is the subject of the ex parte communication. If ex parte communications occur orally, the Commissioner must submit a memorandum to the Executive Director that includes the substance of the communication, including any response and the person(s) involved, to the Executive Director as soon as practicable for inclusion into the record.
Prohibited ex parte communications must be disclosed before or during the Commission meeting at which the Commission considers the matter that is the subject of the ex parte communication. For ex parte communications that occur orally, Commissioners may use the Ex Parte Communication Disclosure Form to satisfy the requirement that the Commissioner submit a memorandum to the Executive Director that includes the substance of the communication. You may contact BCDC legal staff with questions at exparte@bcdc.ca.gov.