Chair
Theis Finlev
Term: December 16, 2021 to February 1, 2026
(Appointed by the City Attorney)
Theis Finlev was appointed to the Ethics Commission by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. In August 2023, Commissioner Finlev was elected by the Commission to serve as Vice-Chair until February 2024. In February 2024, Commissioner Finlev was elected by the Commission to serve as Chair until February 2025.
Theis was an Executive Fellow with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the state agency that administers and enforces California’s ethics laws. He served as spokesman for the commission and advised the commissioners on amendments to California’s law governing campaign finance disclosure and governmental conflicts of interest. He has extensive experience as a regulator, advocate, and prosecutor promoting transparent government and holding public officials accountable.
Theis subsequently worked as the state policy advocate for California Common Cause, the state chapter of the national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting open, honest, and accountable government. He drafted and advocated for laws strengthening campaign finance disclosure, including a bill requiring disclosure of the money behind “astroturfing” campaigns designed to resemble grassroots-based citizen groups or coalitions that are in fact created and funded by corporations, industry trade associations, or other organizations. He testified in legislative hearings in the state capitol and in local municipalities about campaign finance and governmental ethics legislation. Theis also worked with a broad coalition of civic action organizations on early efforts to end partisan gerrymandering of state and congressional lines, efforts which helped pave the way for the establishment of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2008.
More recently, Theis served as an assistant district attorney in the White Collar Crime Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In that role, Theis investigated and prosecuted criminal violations of state and local public integrity laws by San Francisco public officials, including bribery, self-dealing, and failures to disclose financial interests.
Theis holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz; a master’s degree from the London School of Economics; and a law degree from The George Washington University Law School.
Vice-Chair
Argemira Flórez Feng
Term: March 21, 2022 to February 1, 2028
(Appointed by the Assessor-Recorder)
Argemira Flórez Feng joined the Ethics Commission on March 21, 2022, following her appointment by Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres. In February 2024, Commissioner Flórez Feng was elected by the Commission to serve as Vice-Chair until February 2025.
She started her career as a structured finance and securitization attorney at a law firm in New York City and is currently a commercial litigator at a law firm in San Francisco, where she focuses on complex commercial litigation disputes, including fraud claims at state and federal levels. Commissioner Flórez Feng’s experience in private practice includes analyses of laws that can be enforced to address instances of corruption and financial impropriety that overlap with the campaign finance laws that are enforced in San Francisco.
In addition to her work in private practice, she is experienced in alternative dispute resolution and is a certified mediator with the New York Peace Institute. She has mediated cases with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York Civil Court, and Harlem Small Claims Court. She has also co-led workshops on mediation internationally, in both India and Japan.
Commissioner Flórez Feng graduated with honors from Columbia Law School and currently serves as a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).
Commissioners
Yaman Salahi
Term: May 19, 2023 to February 1, 2029
(Appointed by the Board of Supervisors)
Yaman Salahi joined the Ethics Commission on May 19, 2023, following his appointment by the Board of Supervisors.
Yaman is a partner at a plaintiff-side law firm in San Francisco. He represents workers, consumers, and public clients in affirmative litigation challenging corporate and sometimes government misconduct. His areas of practice include antitrust, consumer protection, and civil rights law.
Yaman obtained his law degree from Yale Law School and his undergraduate degree at U.C. Berkeley.
David Tsai
Term: November 7, 2023 to February 1, 2025
(Appointed by the District Attorney)
David Tsai was appointed to the Ethics Commission by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in 2023. He has extensive experience as a civil litigator in private practice.
Commissioner Tsai has been a San Francisco resident for over 20 years and has been a volunteer for a number of community organizations, including Project Openhand and SF AIDS Foundation. He has served on a number of national and local non-profit boards, including Lambda Legal. In 2016, he was recognized by the California State legislature for his civil rights work. In 2017 − 2019, Commissioner Tsai served as one of the 18 Lawyer Representatives to the United States District Court, Northern District of California. In 2018 – 2019, he served as the President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA). He currently serves on the board of California Rural Legal Assistance as a State Bar of California appointee.
Commissioner Tsai holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from Stanford University, and a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Karen Bell Francois
Term: February 1, 2024 to February 1, 2030
(Appointed by the Mayor)
Karen Bell Francois is a native San Franciscan whose family has a long history of community service in San Francisco. Karen joined the Ethics Commission on February 1, 2024 appointed by Mayor London Breed. She is a dedicated and experienced education professional with a strong background in leadership and instructional design. Karen has over 15 years of experience in various education roles including Teacher, Principal, and Supervisor. Karen has a B.A. in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco, and holds a California Teaching Credential and California Administrative Credential, as well as a M.Ed from the University of California, Berkeley.
Implicit Bias Training Requirement Status
See Implicit Bias Training Requirement for City Commissioners and Department Heads