Rachael A. Tanner

(she/her)

Rachel A. Tanner currently serves as the Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services for the City of Palo Alto, where she oversees Palo Alto’s planning and building permitting functions, including inspections. 

Prior to working in Palo Alto, Tanner worked at the San Francisco Planning Department as a Senior Planner on the Excelsior and Outer Mission Neighborhood Strategy, which was developed to guide the City’s focus and investment in the commercial corridors of Mission Street and Geneva Avenue. She implemented outreach strategies during this process, including listening to community stakeholders by organizing focus groups and engaging monolingual residents and community organizations, such as Communities United for Health and Justice and the Excelsior Action Group.

She continues to stay connected to the community through her volunteer work as a mentor to a middle school student and regularly performs marriage ceremonies. Tanner has lived in the Bayview Hunters Point and currently resides in SoMa. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan and her Master’s in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.