TJPA APPOINTS ADAM VAN DE WATER AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

San Francisco, CA – The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Board of Directors today appointed Adam Van de Water as its new Executive Director, to lead the agency.

“I want to welcome Adam Van de Water as the TJPA’s new Executive Director. He brings a wealth of expertise in innovative financial and project development and delivery strategies for government land use projects, which will be an asset to the TJPA as the owner and operator of the Salesforce Transit Center and lead in delivering the Downtown Rail Extension (DTX) project,” said Jeff Gee, Chair of the TJPA Board of Directors. “I want to extend our thanks to Interim Executive Director Nila Gonzales for the tremendous job she has done over the 16 months in leading the TJPA. She kept the ship steady during the pandemic while building momentum in advancing the DTX project to get us to this opportune time for innovative funding opportunities through the federal and state levels.”

“I’m excited to join the TJPA and apply my more than twenty years of executive government experience to continue to build on the TJPA’s efforts with the Salesforce Transit Center as a world-class multi-modal transit hub and community resource for the burgeoning neighborhoods of downtown San Francisco, and in delivering the transformational DTX project to connect the Bay Area to the future California high-speed rail system,” said Adam Van de Water, newly appointed TJPA Executive Director. “There is no better time to deliver the DTX as we leverage historic federal infrastructure investment on the promise of this decades-long Bay Area vision.”

Van de Water has deep experience delivering large scale projects in the Bay Area. Van de Water worked on the City and County of San Francisco’s Rail Alignment and Benefits Study to develop the City’s Railyard Plan. He led the entitlement process for the expansion of the $500 million Moscone Convention Center; the relocation of the Golden State Warriors to the $1 billion Chase Center in Mission Bay; and the completion of the 27-acre Mission Rock project with the San Francisco Giants and the Port of San Francisco. He assisted in the creation of San Francisco’s first 10-year capital plan, paving the way for over $3 billion worth of General Obligation bond-funded improvements to San Francisco General Hospital and the City’s open space and emergency service network.

Van de Water comes to the TJPA after serving as the Director of Innovation and Economic Development at the City of Livermore where he worked with two national labs, redesigned outdoor space that brought over $6 million in economic impact and established the Wine Heritage District, while growing Livermore’s biotechnology program and advancing manufacturing sectors through an innovation-driven economic development strategic plan. He brings a collaborative style, and commitment to sustainable connectivity, which will be instrumental to his work at the TJPA.

“I’ve been honored to serve as the Interim Executive Director of the TJPA since September 2020 and proud of our work in providing stability during this challenging time for our community, transit agencies and their riders, retail tenants and building momentum to advance DTX.” said Nila Gonzales, TJPA Interim Executive Director. “I look forward to working collaboratively with Adam to ensure delivery of this once-in-a-generation project and fulfill the vision of the Transbay Program.”

Gonzales will remain in her role until Van de Water starts with the TJPA on January 4, 2022. She will then resume her role as TJPA’s Chief of Staff, a role she has held for more than a decade.

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About the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA):
The TJPA is owner and operator of the multimodal Salesforce Transit Center, connecting nine-Bay Area transit systems and the public Rooftop Park, providing free activities throughout the year. TJPA is working to extend Caltrain and ultimately, California High-Speed Rail service from 4th and King streets to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco through the Downtown Rail Extension project. The name of the Salesforce Transit Center is the result of a naming rights agreement with salesforce.com that helps fund the Center’s operating costs.