About Steve

Professional Work & Education

Community Work

In 2001 Steve was appointed to the Power Plant Citizens’ Task Force by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell.
Also in 2001, Steve founded San Francisco Community Power, with a goal of shutting-down the Hunters Point and Potrero Power Plants.  Steve has led SF Community Power to:

• Help low-income families and small businesses manage their utility use and save money on their bills.
• Collaborate with other environmental nonprofits and community activists to create the City’s first Electricity Resource Plan, and close the Hunters Point and the Potrero power plants.
• Challenged  the high costs and electric reliability basis for the Trans Bay Cable, which resulted in the creation of a multi-million dollar community mitigation fund.
• Hired and trained un- or underemployed District 10 residents, to work as energy, water, and climate auditors, and financial literacy educators.
• Created the Church Light Initiative, in which three Bayview churches were provided with energy efficient lighting and refrigeration.

In 2008 Steve became a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Community Air Risk Evaluation Task Force, and the California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Distribution Research Program Committee.

Public Policy Work

In 1992, after working for the U.S. Congress and other federal agencies, Steve opened a public policy consulting firm in San Francisco with two other partners.  His work there has included:

• Developed the analysis behind Beyond Sprawl: New Patterns of Growth to Fit the New California, a break-through study on the adverse consequences of urban sprawl. 
• Provided analysis and expert testimony on behalf of agricultural customers in Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) regulatory proceedings. In 1996 Steve’s testimony was cited by the state as one of the key rationales for reducing PG&E’s revenue request by tens of millions of dollars; and in 2006 Steve helped develop a program to shift framers from diesel to electric pumps, significantly reducing polluting air and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Worked with the U.S. Treasury Department to provide budget policy advice to the country of Niger.

Teaching

Steve has taught in the Urban Studies and Public Administration programs at San Francisco State University, as well as at San Quentin’s college program for inmates.

Journalism

Since 2005, published the Potrero View, focusing on providing in-depth coverage of D-10 neighborhoods, news and families.

Launched Neighborhood Newswire, which provides high-quality news articles to Bay Area neighborhood and ethnic periodicals.

School

Steve attended public schools, received a B.S. in Conservation of Natural Resources from the University of California, Berkeley, 1982, and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, 1985.

Steve served in the Peace Corps (in Senegal), and was a Fulbright Scholar in India.