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Trump Appoints Tech-Linked Slate to Lead Presidio Trust

The overhaul replaces Biden-era trustees, stirring concern over private influence on the park’s direction.

Overview

  • President Trump named six new directors to the Presidio Trust after firing the prior presidential appointees last month.
  • The slate includes Lynne Benioff, a former board chair who served from 2015 to 2025 and helped lead the Presidio Tunnel Tops fundraising campaign.
  • Other appointees bring tech and White House ties, including former Austria ambassador Trevor Traina and James Burnham, counsel to Elon Musk’s X and xAI who worked on Trump’s government efficiency initiative.
  • The remaining members are real estate investor John Bickford, philanthropy leader Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, and Marine veteran Kyle Corcoran, who serves as a chief financial officer.
  • The Trust manages 1,500 acres of the Presidio and largely funds operations through leases and hospitality, drawing about 9.5 million visits a year, and six of its seven seats are presidential picks while the Interior Department seat remains vacant.