Presidio Trust board ousted

President Donald Trump removed all six presidential appointees on the Presidio Trust board last week, leaving San Francisco’s Presidio without its governing board as of April 8. (presidio.gov) The Presidio Trust said the board members “were excused from their service by the Office of Presidential Personnel” on April 8 and that it is waiting for new appointments. Local television stations and national outlets reported the dismissals on April 12 and April 13. (presidio.gov) (nbcbayarea.com) The board had six presidential appointees and one seat reserved for the United States secretary of the interior or a designee. Board terms are four years and may be renewed once. (presidio.gov) (congress.gov) Congress created the Presidio Trust in 1996 to run most of the former Army post as a federal corporation and push it to become financially self-sufficient within 15 years. The Presidio covers about 1,500 acres at the Golden Gate and operates separately from the National Park Service areas around it. (congress.gov) (abc7news.com) That structure turned the park into an unusual federal landlord as well as a public space. The Trust says it supports operations by leasing homes and workplaces and by running visitor amenities instead of relying on annual congressional appropriations. (presidio.gov) In fiscal year 2024, the Trust reported record earned operating revenue of $182 million, with average occupancy of 96 percent in residential properties and 93 percent in commercial properties. The Real Deal reported the Presidio includes about 1,400 housing units and 2.1 million square feet of commercial space. (presidio.gov) (therealdeal.com) The firings followed a February 19, 2025 White House order that listed the Presidio Trust among “unnecessary governmental entities” and directed agencies to cut non-statutory functions to the maximum extent allowed by law. A Federal Register notice published February 25, 2025 carried the same instruction. (whitehouse.gov) (federalregister.gov) The board’s removal also landed during a leadership transition. Presidio Trust Chief Executive Officer Jean Fraser said on February 19, 2026 that she plans to step down at the end of this year, and the board had already started a national search for her successor. (presidio.gov) Presidio officials have said park operations will continue. The immediate question is not whether the Presidio stays open, but when the White House names the next board that will oversee leases, capital projects and the chief executive search at one of the country’s rare self-funding national park sites. (ktvu.com) (presidio.gov)