Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday that San Francisco Fire Deputy Chief Jeanine Nicholson would take over the duties as the new chief, the first member of the LGBT community to head the department.
Nicholson, a 25-year veteran of the department, replaces retiring Joanne Hayes-White and becomes the second woman to hold the top post.
“Deputy Chief Nicholson is a dedicated public servant and a tremendous leader and I can think of no better person to serve as our next fire chief,” Breed said. “Her experience and her resiliency have prepared her to lead the men and women who are out there every day protecting our residents, and I am confident she will be ready to lead the Department on day one.”
Nicholson has served the department in various capacities on both the fire side and the EMS side. She has been a Firefighter, a paramedic, a lieutenant, a captain and a battalion chief.