Jean Fraser to Step Down as Presidio Trust CEO

San Francisco, CA (February 19, 2026) – After a decade of service, Presidio Trust CEO Jean Fraser has indicated her intent to step down from her role at the end of this year. The Trust board of directors has begun the national search for a successor to lead the innovative federal agency into its next chapter.

Over the past ten years, Ms. Fraser has guided the Presidio Trust to a position of strength in its operations. Her tenure included opening the Presidio Tunnel Tops, restoring dozens of acres of park land while reintroducing many species back to the park, and establishing the Presidio as a local, national, and international destination that hosts more than nine million visits annually. She also led the Trust’s real estate and hospitality businesses to operate at record-setting levels, earning funding that allows the Presidio Trust to operate without annual taxpayer support.

Ms. Fraser has dedicated her career to fostering healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities. She was appointed as CEO by the Trust board in 2016 and serves on the boards of SPUR and The Climate Center. She was honored with the Silver SPUR award, which recognizes leaders who have made significant contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area, in 2025.

“Serving as CEO of the Presidio Trust has been one of the great privileges of my career. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished over the last decade and am very excited about what lies ahead for the Presidio,” she said. “National park sites like the Presidio serve a critical need for the health and well-being of people and the planet.”

Signature Accomplishments 2016-2026

• Growing the Portfolio & Revenue Base: The Trust strengthened the economic engine that funds the park by revitalizing 16 historic Army-era buildings for new uses. These projects included the Lodge at the Presidio, the Gorgas Rail Complex, Eleven Eighty Crissy Field, and three buildings at the Main Post.
• Welcoming Visitors: The Presidio added new destinations and services, resulting in record visits and high satisfaction. These include the Presidio Visitor Center (2017); the Lodge at the Presidio (2018); the Presidio Theatre (2019); Battery Bluff (2022); Presidio Tunnel Tops (2022), and the Outpost Meadow picnic area (2025). Additionally, the Presidio now offers 13 restaurants and a food truck program.
• Providing Access: The Trust expanded transit, biking, walking, and driving options—bringing Muni 30 service to Crissy Field in 2020 and extending it west in 2025; launching the West’s first national park electric bike share in 2018; and improving roads, bike lanes and sidewalks, to better serve visitors of all abilities and interests.
• Nurturing Nature & Biodiversity: The Trust advanced habitat restoration and environmental stewardship across the park. Dune restoration in the southern and western Presidio enabled the return or introduction of species such as the Variable Checkerspot butterfly, the Silvery Blue butterfly, and the Silver digger bee; ongoing forest restoration with native understory plantings to support wildlife; and creation of the Quartermaster Reach Marsh at Crissy Field (2020), which restored seven acres of tidal marsh with brackish habitat that supports species like the native Olympia oyster.

“The Presidio fully came into its own as a world-class national park site under Jean’s leadership,” said Lynne Benioff, former Presidio Trust board chair, and co-chair of the Presidio Tunnel Tops campaign. “With magnificent gems like the Tunnel Tops and a dedicated staff who keep the entire park clean, safe, and beautiful every day, the Presidio is now the go-to place for tourists and locals alike.”

“During Jean’s tenure, the continuous enhancement and flourishing of the Presidio is a testament to her dedicated leadership, her visionary planning, and her successful stewardship, all of which have cemented the Presidio as one of America’s great national park sites,” said Sean Elsbernd, President of SPUR.

Said Mark Buell, Chair of the Presidio Trust Board, “Jean has been a visionary leader who also gets all the operational details right. It’s a sign of how classy she is that she has given us so much notice and that she will stay to ensure a smooth transition. She’s put us in just the right position to recruit another strong CEO to lead the Presidio for the future.”

The Trust Board of Directors has launched the search for Jean’s successor.  A search committee has been appointed, and Stanton Chase, an executive search firm, has been retained to support the search for the Trust’s next CEO.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust

The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and is the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. It became a military post under three flags, and subsequently a national park site in 1994. Today, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov and @presidiosf.