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Port director announces retirement; highlights festival revenue, resilience work and Fisherman’s Wharf projects
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Summary
Executive Director Elaine Forbes told the San Francisco Port Commission she will retire after 25 years in city service and reviewed waterfront activity including Portola Music Festival revenue, the waterfront art loop, cruise passenger growth, Fisherman’s Wharf construction, Crane Cove Park completion and internal wellness recognition.
Elaine Forbes, executive director of the Port of San Francisco, told the Port Commission that she will retire after 25 years in city service and outlined major waterfront accomplishments and ongoing projects.
Forbes said October is Filipino American Month and highlighted workforce diversity at the Port. She reviewed recent events and business activity on Port property, saying the Portola Music Festival drew nearly 70,000 people and generated nearly $1 million in port revenue; that sound mitigation reduced measured sound levels by about 31% from the prior year; and that cruise activity brought about 80,800 passengers to San Francisco during the 2025 season, a roughly 12% increase from the prior year.
The director described cultural initiatives and capital projects the Port is advancing. She said the Port will host more than a dozen pieces from the citywide “Big Art Loop” public-art program along the waterfront and named an 18-foot mermaid sculpture as the first installation. Forbes reported construction work beginning this month on Fisherman’s Wharf Forward, starting with demolition of the smokehouse and pile removal, with a target of completing plaza work and opening a new plaza in summer 2026. She also said Crane Cove Park is expected to be complete late this month and that recent maintenance work included repaving Gilman Street and volunteer-led cleanup of Warm Water Park.
Forbes announced an internal wellness award from the San Francisco Health Service System acknowledging Port staff efforts to raise awareness of well-being resources. She also noted staff submitted the Port’s required ORE (Office of Racial Equity) report required by Board of Supervisors legislation and summarized equity-related workforce priorities.
Commissioners praised Forbes and the Port staff, thanked her for leadership during a transition, and asked that she prepare a “lessons learned” report on resilience, economic vitality and real estate and development as part of transition planning. The commission said Mike Martin will serve as acting director during the search for a permanent successor.
Forbes concluded her report by noting the Port will follow the write-off policy adopted under Resolution 22-11 and will present six accounts recommended for write-off; commissioners and the public will have 30 days to review before Port staff proceed.
Commissioners asked questions and offered remarks praising the Port’s events, public-art installations, and construction progress. Several commissioners urged continued community engagement as large development projects proceed.
Ending: Forbes did not announce a firm retirement date in her remarks at the meeting but said she is preparing a transition plan and will work with Port leadership on handing off institutional knowledge.
