The wife of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was just appointed to a prestigious San Francisco park board position, just months after the tech executive drew backlash for mass layoffs.
Lynne Benioff was appointed Thursday as one of six new members of the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, the federal corporation overseeing San Francisco’s iconic 1,500-acre Presidio national park site near the Golden Gate Bridge.
The appointment, from President Trump, places the philanthropist and TIME co-chair back onto the influential board after previously serving from 2015 through 2025, including a stint as chair.
“I’m honored to once again serve one of the greatest national park sites in America and so appreciative for the opportunity,” Benioff said in a statement.
“The Presidio Trust is an incredibly well-run organization that brings in support from the private sector to support its public mission. I look forward to working with the new board to support the Presidio’s next chapter.”
The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny surrounding her husband who faced criticism over cuts at his tech empire.
Salesforce cut nearly 1,000 roles in early February 2026. These layoffs targeted the marketing, product management, data analytics, Heroku, and Agentforce AI teams, according to the company. This move followed a strategic reorganization late last year, where the company transitioned 4,000 customer service jobs following the rollout of AI agents
Last year, Benioff sparked controversy after publicly calling for the National Guard to be deployed in San Francisco to combat crime, marking a sharp shift from many Silicon Valley leaders traditionally aligned with Democrats.
The Presidio shakeup follows Trump’s dramatic firing of all six previous presidential appointees to the board last month, fueling fears among preservationists and local officials over the administration’s future plans for one of San Francisco’s most treasured public spaces.
Earlier this year, Trump also targeted the Presidio Trust in an executive order aimed at shrinking what he called “unnecessary governmental entities.”
The newly announced board members include several figures with close ties to The White House and conservative tech circles.
Among them is Trevor Traina, the entrepreneur and former ambassador to Austria during Trump’s first administration. “I’m delighted to have been asked to serve on the board of this unique and special place,” Traina said in a statement.
“As a fourth-generation San Franciscan with a deep connection to the park, I look forward to carrying on the Presidio’s important mission begun by so many passionate champions.”
Trump also appointed Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, the wife of venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, whose firm and founders reportedly donated millions to Trump-aligned political groups during the 2024 election cycle.
Other appointees include James Burnham, who previously worked with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, John Bickford and former Marine Kyle Corcoran.
Unlike many federal agencies, the Presidio Trust largely funds itself through hospitality, leasing and real estate revenue rather than ongoing congressional appropriations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The former Army post attracts roughly 9.5 million visitors annually and operates in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Lynne Benioff has long played a major role in shaping the park’s future, previously helping lead the fundraising campaign for the Presidio Tunnel Tops project, which raised nearly $100 million in private donations for the sprawling public park space that opened above Doyle Drive.
Read the full article here
