Mayor Ed Lee May 3, 2011

San Francisco’s first Asian-American mayor, Ed Lee, will discuss the many challenges facing this major city, including issues over the America’s Cup, budgeting, the Central Subway and the upcoming elections for the city’s next mayor.

Lee became the 43rd mayor of San Francisco in January 2011, when Gavin Newsom left the position to take over as California's lieutenant governor.

He was reappointed as City Administrator in 2010, having served one five-year term beginning in 2005 after an appointment by Mayor Newsom. He served as Director of Public Works for the city from 2000 until 2005. In 1991, Lee was hired as executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, serving in that capacity under Mayors Agnos, Frank Jordan, and Willie Brown. Brown appointed him Director of City Purchasing, where, among other things, he ran the City's first Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise program. He began his career in city government in 1989 after Mayor Art Agnos appointed him the city’s first investigator under the Whistle Blower ordinance, and went on to serve as the deputy director of human relations under Agnos.