SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The White House has announced the reappointment of John W. Keker to fill the seat previously occupied by Alex Mehran on the seven person board of the Presidio Trust. In the same announcement, President Obama appointed Mark Pincus to fill the seat that will be vacated by John Keker.
San Francisco resident Mark Pincus is cofounder and Chairman of Zynga, a well-known social gaming company responsible for hits such as Words with Friends and Farmville. Mr. Pincus has launched multiple technology companies and was an early in investor in Napster, Twitter and Facebook. He is well known for his philanthropic activity through Zynga.org that has enabled millions of game users to make charitable donations. Zynga.org has generated nearly $25M contributions since 2009. Mr. Pincus earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard University.
“Being appointed to the board of the Presidio Trust is a true honor,” says Pincus. “As a San Franciscan who has devoted my career to creating meaningful virtual communities, I look forward to bringing people together to enjoy all that the Presidio has to offer.”
John W. Keker, founder the San Francisco law firm of Keker, Van Nest & Peters, is a celebrated attorney and decorated military veteran. Among other professional honors, he was recently listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the United States, and the best lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keker served as law clerk to Retired Chief Justice Earl Warren at the U.S. Supreme Court. He served as President of the San Francisco Police Commission twice, under Mayors Agnos and Brown, as Chairman of the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board under Governor Jerry Brown, and as Vice President of the San Francisco Fire Commission during the Loma Prieta earthquake. Keker graduated from Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and Yale Law School.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to continue serving on the board of the Presidio Trust,” says Keker. “It’s a particularly exciting time in the park with the opening of the Presidio Visitor Center next month and the completion of 14 acres of spectacular new parklands above Doyle Drive in the next few years.”
“We are delighted to welcome Mark Pincus, a pillar of San Francisco’s technology community, to the board,” says board chair Paula Collins. “We are also extraordinarily pleased that John Keker, who has provided invaluable leadership as board vice chair, will continue to serve in our next era.” Collins added, “We thank Alex Mehran for his deep commitment and many contributions to the Presidio. His wisdom, wit, and comradery will be profoundly missed.”
About the Presidio Trust: The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in the management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust's vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with hundreds of free events, educational programs, and miles of trails and natural open spaces. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.
About the Board: The Presidio Trust is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Six members are appointed by the President of the United States. The seventh is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior or her designee. The board currently consists of chair Paula R. Collins, vice chair John Keker, Nicola Miner, Mark Pincus, Janet Reilly, and John Reynolds (designee for Sec. of Interior).