Carole McNeil Appointed to Presidio Trust Board of Directors

San Francisco, CA (November 5, 2019) – The White House has announced the appointment of San Francisco Bay Area native Carole McNeil to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, and the reappointment of Lynne Benioff for a second term.

Mrs. McNeil is Chairman and Strategic Director of McNeil Capital, which invests in a wide range of real estate, venture capital, and biotech interests. She is also a member of the Policy Advisory Board at the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Additionally, she endowed a joint chair between the Hoover Institution and the Economics Department at Stanford University, a first-ever creative association. She is also on the Overseers Board at the Hoover Institution.

Says Mrs. McNeil, “The Presidio has always been very precious to me as both my grandchildren and I use the park on a regular basis. I look forward to lending my expertise in real estate and business to this great board, helping to steward this wonderful park for generations to come.” Says William E. Grayson, board chair, “It is particularly exciting to welcome Carole to the board at this time in the Presidio’s development. Her expertise in real estate investment and her business acumen will be invaluable as the Trust continues to strengthen its commercial real estate portfolio, ensuring the park remains on solid financial footing.” The Presidio is the only national park that receives no taxpayer support and must earn all of its own funds to operate. Since 2013, the Trust has been financially self-sufficient, earning rental revenue by rehabilitating historic buildings for commercial and residential use. Funds earned are reinvesting back into the park’s historic and cultural assets, free public programs, hiking and biking trails, and natural resources, for the public good.

Mrs. McNeil succeeds Paula R. Collins, a Founder and CEO of WDG Ventures Inc, a real estate development company in San Francisco. Appointed to the Trust Board by President Obama in 2012, Ms. Collins was Board Chair from 2015-2017.

The White House also announced that Lynne Benioff has been reappointed to a second term on the Trust board. She will continue in her role as chair of the Governance Committee and co-chair of the Tunnel Tops Campaign Committee. Both terms expire in May 2023. Says Mr. Grayson, “We are thrilled that Lynne will continue to serve on the board, maintaining the momentum she has created to gain support for the Tunnel Tops project. We are also grateful for Paula’s support and partnership and will miss her enthusiasm and wise counsel.”

About the Presidio Trust and Board of Directors

The Presidio Trust is a federal agency that manages the Presidio of San Francisco, a national park at the heart of the 82,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In partnership with the National Park Service and the non-profit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Presidio Trust brings alive the park’s historic, natural, and recreational assets for the inspiration, education, health, and enjoyment of all people at no cost to taxpayers. The Presidio Trust is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Six members are appointed by the President of the United States. The seventh is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior or his or her designee. Board terms are four years and may be renewed once. For more information visit .

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