Date: July 16, 2018
To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: LeeAnn Pelham, Executive Director
Subject: Executive Director’s Report for the July 20, 2018 Commission Meeting
Summary
This report provides various programmatic and operational highlights to date since the last monthly Executive Director’s Report.
Action Requested
No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
Deputy Director Announcement
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Gayathri Thaikkendiyil as Deputy Director & Chief Programs Officer on a permanent basis, effective July 2, 2018. Gayathri has been serving as Acting Deputy Director since late March. Prior to her appointment as our Chief Programs Officer in September 2017, she served a one-year Senior Executive Fellowship with us as part of the FUSE program administered by the Mayor’s Office. In that consultative capacity, she designed and implemented approaches to leverage online technology to improve public engagement and strengthen accountability in city government. Through Gayathri’s ongoing vision and operational leadership as Chief Programs Officer, this critical work is continuing with the goal of enhanced compliance by enabling us to better meet the information needs of those we regulate and to strengthen public understanding of the laws we administer and enforce.
Prior to joining the City and County of San Francisco, Gayathri led geographically distributed cross-functional teams of technical and business stakeholders as an Applications Development Manager with American Airlines. In that capacity, she was responsible for managing projects and improving processes to better understand and address customer needs while also supporting business growth. Her work included creating and monitoring budgets and performance to continuously improve operations, establishing and supporting strategic partnerships, and leading and mentoring a 22-member team during a major organizational merger, which involved organizational redesign, systems integration, and process re-mapping.
Gayathri holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas, School of Engineering and Computer Science. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of Madras. In addition to her professional and educational background, Gayathri also has a record of community and non-profit service, including as a Mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters; as President of the Indian Employee Group at American Airlines; and assisting in developing curriculum and conducting STEM classes for minority girls as an American Airlines Diversity Advisory Council Member.
The additional Deputy Director duties Gayathri has now formally assumed on a permanent basis include working broadly with me on all facets of departmental management, including budgetary and fiscal matters and reaching all operational and functional areas and activities. With her knowledge, experience, and skill in assessing operational need and in developing practical and effective initiatives to address them, Gayathri will be responsible for developing and driving core strategies to help strengthen our effectiveness. I am delighted we will now be able to benefit from Gayathri’s business acumen, exceptional project and people skills, and seasoned customer service experience in her permanent role as Deputy Director.
Budget and Hiring Plan Developments
The enacted FY19 City budget approved the requests we sought in this year’s budget to sustain the progress we have been making on core program and operational priorities: no cuts; a fully-funded salary account for current staffing levels; an expanded professional development budget; and expanded funding for language translation services.
Because the Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance was enacted without an appropriation, development of the systems required by the disclosures created by the new law will need to be drawn from current year salary savings that accrue as we work to complete our hiring plan this calendar year. A snapshot showing the status of positions that remain in recruitment appears in Table 1 below.
Table 1 – Status of Ethics Commission Positions in Recruitment
| Position Working Title | Division | Status | Type | Job Class Title/No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Information Systems Business Analyst | Electronic Disclosure & Data Analysis | Oral exam phase. | Vacancy/non-exempt position | Senior IS Business Analyst (1053) |
| Director of Enforcement & Legal Affairs | Enforcement & Legal Affairs | Application period closed July 13; applications under review. | Vacancy/exempt position | Manager I (0922) |
| Principal Program Manager | Engagement & Compliance | Position description under final review. | Vacancy/non-exempt position | Principal Administrative Analyst (1824) |
| Principal Program Manager | Audits | Position description under final review. | Reclass of vacant position/non-exempt position | Principal Administrative Analyst (1824) |
| Senior Program Analyst | Engagement & Compliance | Position description under final review. | New/non-exempt position | Senior Administrative Analyst (1823) |
| Policy Analyst | Policy | Posting description under final review. | Vacancy/non-exempt | Administrative Analyst (1822) |
Revenues Report
Table 2 shows the revenues received by the Commission during the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2017, as of June 30, 2018.
Table 2- Summary of FY 2017-18 Revenues as of June 30, 2018
| Source | Budgeted Amount | FY 17-18 Receipts as of June 30, 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Lobbyist Registration Fees | $85,000 | $103,400 |
| Lobbyists Fines | $500 | $2,600 |
| Campaign Consultants Fees | $7,000 | $18,105 |
| Contact Lobbyist and Other e.g., copies made by public | $2,450 | $0 |
| Statement of Economic Interests Filings-Late Fees | $1,250 | $152 |
| Campaign Consultant Fines | $1,000 | $1,460 |
| Campaign Finance Fines (includes late fees and forfeitures) | $23,000 | $82,881 |
| Ethics, Other/ Administrative Fines Levied by the Commission | $7,500 | $20,685 |
| Major Developer Fee | $0 | $2,000 |
| Total | $127,700 | $231,283 |
I look forward to answering any questions about this report at your upcoming meeting.