Francesca Gessner was appointed chief of policy for California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s executive team on October 29, 2021. In this role, Gessner will serve as the primary legal policy advisor and will be responsible for developing, managing, and executing the attorney general’s policy initiatives. She will coordinate and assist in developing strategic investigations and litigation and in resolving major cases reflecting important priorities of the attorney general. Gessner will also oversee a team of special assistant attorneys general who are charged with developing and implementing the AG’s affirmative agenda. Previously, Gessner spent 15 years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, most recently as general counsel to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where she advised on legal issues and supervised a team of deputy city attorneys.