Lynn Benioff, the wife of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, has recently been appointed to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, just a few months after her husband faced backlash due to significant layoffs at his company.
The announcement came on Thursday, marking her as one of six new directors for the Presidio Trust, which manages the expansive 1,500-acre Presidio National Park in San Francisco, located near the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
This appointment was made by President Trump, bringing Lynn back to a board she previously served on, even chairing it from 2015 to 2025. “I am honored to once again serve one of America’s largest national parks and am grateful for this opportunity,” she shared in her statement.
She expressed confidence in the trust’s management and its ability to garner private sector support for its public goals, indicating her eagerness to collaborate with the new board on future developments.
This news surfaces amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding her husband, who made headlines after Salesforce laid off about 1,000 employees earlier this year. These cuts affected teams across marketing, product management, and others, following a large-scale strategic realignment introduced late last year.
In a controversial move, Marc Benioff recently called for the National Guard to be deployed to San Francisco to address crime, a stance that marked a notable divergence from the generally Democratic-leaning positions of many tech leaders.
The board changes come after President Trump dismissed the previous six presidential appointees, raising concerns among local officials and preservationists regarding the future of this cherished public space.
This year, Trump has also targeted the Presidio Trust through an executive order attempting to reduce what he termed unnecessary government agencies. The new board members are expected to have strong connections to both the White House and the conservative tech community.
One of the new members, Trevor Traina, a former ambassador to Austria under Trump, expressed his excitement about serving on the board, highlighting his family’s long-standing relationship with the park.
Another appointee, Laura Arrillaga Andreessen, is married to venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, whose firm has historically donated significant sums to Trump-aligned political groups.
Other new board members include James Burnham, a previous worker on Elon Musk’s government initiative, and John Bickford, along with former Marine Kyle Corcoran.
Interestingly, the Presidio Trust operates differently from many federal agencies, relying mostly on revenue from hospitality and leases rather than continuous funding from Congress. The park draws around 9.5 million visitors annually and collaborates with both the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy.
Lynn Benioff has been instrumental in shaping the park’s future, notably contributing to fundraising efforts for the Presidio Tunnel Tops project, which raised nearly $100 million in private donations for this significant public space.
