Lurie Taps 30-Year City Veteran to Lead Port of San Francisco

Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed Mike Martin as Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco, elevating a nearly three-decade city insider to steer one of the region's most consequential agencies. The announcement, made at a July 14 press conference followed by a formal swearing-in, sets the leadership direction for 7.5 miles of waterfront spanning housing development, tourism, maritime commerce, and seismic and flood resilience.

• Mike Martin, former deputy director for real estate development, named Port executive director after international search
• Lurie ties waterfront agenda to Family Opportunity Agenda, pledging new homes, parks, and cultural programming for families
• Martin outlines vision to expand cruise, fishing, and cargo sectors while making space for blue economy innovators
• Supervisors representing waterfront districts signal strong support for the appointment

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A Known Quantity Takes the Helm

Mayor Daniel Lurie selected a familiar hand to run the Port of San Francisco, appointing Mike Martin — who has spent nearly 30 years in city government — as executive director following an international search conducted by the Port Commission.

Why it matters: The Port oversees a 7.5-mile stretch of waterfront that drives tourism revenue, shapes housing supply, supports maritime jobs, and anchors the city's long-term earthquake and flood resilience strategy. The next director will guide capital projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including the Mission Rock mixed-use development and the seawall protection program.

Where things stand: Martin most recently served as deputy director for real estate development and assistant port director, where he managed several of the port's highest-profile undertakings. Lurie used the announcement to catalog that track record.

"As Deputy Director for Real Estate Development and Assistant Port Director, he guided the Mission Rock project, bringing new plazas, parks, office space and thousands of homes to the waterfront," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. He also credited Martin with serving as project director for the 34th America's Cup, leading the port's waterfront resilience program, and developing a plan to protect the seawall.

Lurie framed the choice in personal terms: "Mike cares deeply about San Francisco. He knows how to get stuff done. And in a complicated regulatory environment, he is the right person to lead the port into the future."

Martin, a San Francisco parent who raised two children in the city, accepted the role with a mix of urgency and long-range ambition. He described the waterfront as a collective enterprise rather than a solo project.

"The port is a 7½-mile-long waterfront canvas that no one person can paint," Executive Director Mike Martin said.

He outlined priorities spanning traditional maritime sectors and emerging industries: "We can craft the working waterfront of the future by expanding our traditional sectors like cruise, fishing, and cargo, and by making space for new innovators seeking to make their mark on the blue economy."

Martin also signaled that infrastructure resilience would be central to his tenure, saying the port must "plan and deliver a whole new flood and earthquake resistant shoreline to safeguard the city's next century while preserving our precious connection between our dynamic city and the amazing bay."

He framed the moment as one demanding both speed and patience: "This port moment is about both the fierce urgency of now and the responsibility to plan ahead for challenges to come."

In a notable gesture, Martin turned to port maintenance workers, thanking staff whose contributions he said do not always generate headlines but are essential to keeping the port's infrastructure running.

Waterfront Stakeholders Rally Behind Appointment

Support for Martin came from both neighborhood business leaders and elected officials representing waterfront districts.

Bree Mon, Executive Director of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District, described the port as far more than a logistics hub. "The port is San Francisco's gateway to the world, but not just for goods. It holds a unique position to set the new standard for creative ideas, innovative culture, and endless possibilities," she said.

Mon expressed confidence in Martin's stewardship: "I believe we will see our port not only grow in capacity, but also in its role as a model of efficiency, sustainability, and community partnership."

District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter praised the appointment and highlighted the balancing act the port must navigate among tourism, maritime industry, and public open space. "We have portions of our waterfront where we lean into our tourism and hospitality, other parts where we really want to protect," he said.

Sauter also signaled collegial support across the board, noting backing from District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton and District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey — both of whom represent waterfront neighborhoods. "We know we're going to have an incredible partner in Mike Martin," he said.

Families at the Center of the Waterfront Vision

Lurie explicitly connected the port's development pipeline to his administration's flagship livability initiative. "Earlier this year, we launched the Family Opportunity Agenda, a citywide effort to bring down the cost of living and expand economic mobility so families can stay in San Francisco," Mayor Lurie said, positioning new public spaces, cultural programming, and neighborhood development along the waterfront as tools to retain families in a city that has long struggled to keep them.

Martin echoed the theme, citing his own experience as a parent in the city and committing to making the waterfront a place where families can live, work, and thrive.

What's next: Martin was formally sworn in at the conclusion of the press conference. As executive director, he will immediately oversee ongoing capital projects including seawall protection and Mission Rock development, while shaping the port's approach to maritime expansion, housing delivery, and climate resilience infrastructure along the 7.5-mile waterfront corridor.