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OAKLAND — David Chai, chief of staff to Mayor Ron Dellums, is leaving his position to take a job working as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's "business czar."
Chai, 41, will depart a little more than two years after joining Dellums' staff. He said he is leaving on his own terms and will begin working for Newsom — whom he worked for before being hired by Dellums — at the end of the month.
"Working for Mayor Dellums was an honor," he said. "It was an honor to serve such a political icon and a true leader."
Marisol Lopez, executive assistant to the mayor and one of his closest and most trusted advisers, will be the new chief of staff.
In a statement, Dellums said he was appreciative of Chai's "strategic mind and his contributions in helping make this city a better place to work and live." He said Lopez is "one of the most capable leaders I've ever had the pleasure to work with."
Chai was Dellums' second chief of staff, replacing Dan Boggan Jr. roughly seven months into the mayor's term. In an office where lines of authority are often unclear, Chai in many ways was more of a political and policy strategist than a true chief of staff.
City Council President Jane Brunner (North Oakland) said she liked working with him — that he was enthusiastic, open and responsive.
She also said she didn't know whether he was an effective chief of staff.
"There's never been a clear chief of staff," Brunner
City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente (Glenview-Fruitvale) said: "He didn't have the power that the chief of staff should have to make some decisions. I think that within a very complicated office, he did his best."
When Chai joined Dellums' office, he said he was excited about the chance to help implement the mayor's vision of Oakland as a model city. But some City Hall sources said he clearly seemed frustrated with his job.
Chai defended Dellums' record, pointing to a decline in crime and saying Oakland could have no better ally as federal stimulus dollars flow from Washington.
"I think that if anyone would really devote the time to look at the accomplishments, you'd have to come to the conclusion that a significant amount of work was done here," Chai said. "I think oftentimes there was a perception problem."
He mentioned his work on the city's efforts to redevelop the Oakland Army Base and keep the A's in Oakland as two of the projects with which he was proud to be involved.
He said he wants to "continue some of the business outreach I've been able to do" in his new position, where he will lead San Francisco's Human Services Agency's efforts to engage businesses willing to take advantage of Newsom's Jobs Now program.
Reach Kelly Rayburn at 510-208-6435.
