A New Kind of Leadership for a New Chapter
SFCLT adopts a shared leadership model
because how we lead matters as much as what we do.
At the San Francisco Community Land Trust, we believe housing shouldn’t be controlled by one entity with unchecked power over something as essential as a home. That principle is baked into the community land trust model itself: decisions are made collectively, residents have a voice, and power is shared.
So it only makes sense that we’d ask the same of ourselves.
That’s why SFCLT’s Board of Directors is shifting how we’re led. We’re moving from a traditional single Executive Director model to a Co-Directorate — a shared leadership body of five directors, each responsible for a distinct area of our work.
What the Co-Directorate Looks Like
The five-member Co-Directorate will oversee the full scope of SFCLT’s operations: staff management, fundraising, acquisitions, asset management, legal compliance, and program development. They make decisions by consensus where possible, and by majority vote when needed.
The same accountability structures that have always applied to SFCLT’s Executive Director remain fully in place for the Co-Directorate. The Board retains all existing powers, including the authority to hire, evaluate, and remove directors. And the Executive Management Team, composed of the board’s four officers, has formal oversight authority over day-to-day operations.
This isn’t a leap into uncharted territory. It’s a formalization of something that’s already been true. Staff beyond the Executive Director have long held significant responsibility and authority at SFCLT. The Co-Directorate makes that reality official.
Why This Matters
Many mission-driven organizations are vulnerable to what happens when a single leader departs — institutional knowledge walks out the door, momentum stalls, and staff are left to rebuild. The Co-Directorate is a direct response to that fragility.
By distributing leadership across five directors with deep, complementary expertise, SFCLT is building the kind of organizational resilience that lets us stay focused on what matters: keeping people in their homes, preserving community, and growing the community ownership movement.
This also reflects a truth we’ve seen in our work time and again: shared power isn’t a compromise. It’s a source of strength.
Rooted in Our Values
The community land trust model was built on the conviction that communities — not speculators, not single landlords, not any one individual — should hold lasting power over housing. Resident governance, democratic decision-making, and collective ownership are what make CLTs different.
Our new leadership structure applies that same conviction to how SFCLT operates internally. We’re not just advocating for shared power in housing. We’re practicing it ourselves.
The five-member Co-Directorate, listed below, was confirmed by the SFCLT board at the 2026 June Meeting. We’re proud of this transition and proud that it reflects the kind of institution SFCLT has always been working to become.
Our New Co-Directors
Saki Bailey, Executive Director, Co-Director
Kyle Smeallie, Development & Policy Director, Co-Director
Teresa Wang, Deputy Director, Co-Director Operations
Sarah Scruggs, Program Director, Co-Director Stewardship & Catalyst TA
Emily Silagon, Housing Director, Co-Director Asset Management
Want to stay connected to SFCLT’s work?
Sign up for our newsletter / Become a member / Support our mission