Sally Oerth, the former Executive Director of the San Francisco Office of Community Investment & Infrastructure (OCII), has been named Assistant Vice Chancellor of Housing Services at UCSF.
“In her new role, Sally will not only oversee six different housing communities at UCSF but she will be moving into new territory with income-based affordable housing and portfolio expansion to meet the requirements from the Comprehensive Parnassus Heights Plan Memorandum of Understanding with the City,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Life Services, Jon Giacomi. “Sally has successfully managed complex real estate deals encompassing approximately 22,000 housing units, 13 million-square-feet of commercial space, 375 acres of parks, and millions of dollars in equal opportunity contracting and workforce programs.”
Oerth devised key legislative strategies at city, state, and federal levels to optimize responses to market conditions, enhance equity and expand affordable housing opportunities for those deals. As Director, she also oversaw a complex financial portfolio at OCII, including annual budgets, debt issuance, and spending plans totaling more than $560 million.
“After working at the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and OCII for almost 17 years, I left in 2022 and have enjoyed taking the last year off to spend more time with my teenage children, but also to reflect on what my next professional role should be,” Oerth said. “I believe I’m a ‘houser’ at heart, and wanted to continue my long career in advancing the development of housing and housing policies that serve San Francisco, but at the same time I was looking for a new perspective after working on the public side of things for so long. When I learned about the AVC opportunity at UCSF, it seemed like a wonderful fit for me – a position that would allow me to use my deep experience in affordable housing while also allowing me to see a different side of things with university housing.”
Giacomi said Oerth will bring to UCSF experience in real estate negotiations and transactions; asset management of public lands; economic development and housing policy; budget planning and fiscal management; stakeholder engagement; public presentations; change management; and team leadership.
“Sally will be an excellent addition to our CLS leadership team,” Giacomi said.
In addition to her work at OCII, Oerth also worked in the Housing Division of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency; the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; and worked as a business analyst for on several public sector consulting projects.
Oerth said she brings an inclusive, collaborative, and transparent leadership style to UCSF. “I like to create a workplace where expectations and goals are clear, team members have the information and resources to accomplish those goals and feel supported to work creatively to solve challenges.”
Oerth said she values having diverse viewpoints and fosters a work environment where new ideas are always welcome. “I enjoy mentoring and coaching staff, especially to help them define workplans to achieve their own professional goals. I encourage my team to not just identify problems, but to develop their own proposals on how to address the issues, and then work with them to brainstorm on how to refine or implement their plan.”
Oerth lives in San Francisco with her husband, Michael, and her two teenage daughters, Shelby and Miranda. She is a graduate of Brown University and earned her Master of Public Administration, Urban Planning, from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs.
Oerth enjoys spending time reading, baking, and catering to the needs of two very spoiled, and very vocal, rescue cats.
