Mayor Ed Lee devoted his life to public service, to helping and fighting for those less fortunate and working to make San Francisco the great city it is. His compassion, thoughtfulness and humble style were his great strengths and allowed him to focus on improving San Francisco for everyone.

San Francisco and the Bay Area have lost a great leader and public servant with the sudden passing of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. On behalf of our Board of Directors and our hundreds of member companies, the Bay Area Council extends its deepest condolences to Mayor Lee’s wife, Anita, his two daughters, Brianna and Tania, and his entire family. Mayor Lee loved San Francisco and its people and worked his entire career to make it a better place. He wasn’t flashy, but he was effective, hard-working and dedicated. Even more, he was a compassionate and deeply caring man who dedicated himself to improving the lives of others.

The Bay Area Council was honored to work with Mayor Lee on so many important issues. He was a good friend to the business community. He guided the city out of the Great Recession, embraced the promise of technology to grow our economy and improve lives, and championed regional collaboration to address our most difficult challenges. He leaves an incredible legacy of accomplishment and his memory can serve as a shining model to future leaders about the power of decency, honesty and hard work to get things done.