San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor London N. Breed swore in Greg Wagner as the new Controller for the City and County of San Francisco. Prior to this appointment, Wagner served as the Chief Operating Officer of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFPDH) and brings over 16 years of high-level experience managing finances and administrative activities within the City. Wagner is succeeding Controller Ben Rosenfield, who is ending his tenure today after 26 years of dedicated public service.
“The decisions we make today are crucial to the long-term stability of San Francisco and I’m glad we can count on Greg, with his decades of experience in financial management to help keep us moving in the right direction,” said Mayor London Breed. “As we continue to face tough budget challenges and work towards a stronger San Francisco, I look forward to working together with Greg on the future of our City.”
“I’m honored and energized by this opportunity to serve my City and join the incredible team in the Controller’s Office,” Greg Wagner said. “I can’t wait to get started – to continue building on the important work done by this department, and to be a part of San Francisco’s healthy economic future.”
In his role as the Chief Operating Officer of SFDPH, Wagner oversaw the administration of finances and operations for the City’s largest department, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) and Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. As COO, he was also responsible for a citywide network of primary care, mental health, and substance use programs. He also served as SFDPH’s Chief Financial Officer from 2011 to 2020.
Wagner has been integral in the financial management of key public health and citywide priorities over the last decade, including San Francisco’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was instrumental in managing the capital program to rebuild ZSFG and multiple outpatient service sites, the implementation of Mental Health SF, and the City’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Prior to joining SFDPH, Wagner worked in the Mayor’s Budget Office from 2006 to 2011, serving as Mayor’s Budget Director under Mayors Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee. During that time, he led development and approval of the City’s annual balanced budget through the financially challenging years following the Great Recession. Wagner previously worked at the nonprofit San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), where he led research and policy analysis for the organization’s government efficiency program areas.
Wagner is replacing outgoing Controller Ben Rosenfield, who served as City Controller for 16 years and, late last year, announced he would be leaving the position in 2024. He was first appointed in 2008 by former Mayor Gavin Newsom. Since Wagner's confirmation by the Board of Supervisors, Rosenfield and his team have been working with Wagner to transition him into the new role.
“I know from my long experience in this role and from my many years of working with Greg that he has both the expertise and temperament to excel as the City’s Controller. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes,” said Ben Rosenfield.
“I want to thank outgoing Controller Ben Rosenfield for his many years of service and wish him the best in his next endeavors,” said Mayor Breed. “He’s been a true asset to our City, an advocate for the public good, and has made a real difference for the people of San Francisco.”
In San Francisco, the City Controller is an appointed position nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by a majority of the Board of Supervisors. Mayor Breed nominated Wagner to serve as the City Controller on January 10, 2024 and the Board voted later that month to approve his appointment to a ten-year term.
Wagner holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley and lives with his family in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood.
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