SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Mayor Gavin Newsom, days before he begins his second term Tuesday, cleaned house, issuing sweeping leadership changes in major city departments such as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Public Works.

As part of the 27 personnel changes announced Friday, Newsom also brought in considerable policy and political experience at the state and national levels, giving a nod to the 40-year-old mayor’s aspirations beyond the local level.

The changes were the result of Newsom’s September announcment that he wanted offers of resignation from all department heads, commissioners and senior staff in order to begin his second term as mayor with a clean slate.

The biggest change was the firing of SFPUC General Manager Susan Leal, a former supervisor and a mayoral opponent to Newsom in 2003, to be replaced by current City Controller Ed Harrington. Because Leal is under contract, the SFPUC must vote to break the contract — bringing her a severance — and then vote to appoint Harrington, a process unlikely to happen for several months, Harrington said.

Leal was recently hit by a car outside of City Hall and will stay on as general manager as she recovers, Harrington said.

“She does have to recover, so we didn’t want to push anything faster than she wanted to go,” he said.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said Monday that reports Leal was pressured out by Newsom had rubbed some the wrong way because she would receive roughly $500,000 in severance when The City faces an estimated $229 million budget deficit.

Dr. Fred Abadi, director of public works, was fired and replaced by Ed Reiskin, the 311 director who left his position as interim city administrator of the District of Columbia in June. Nancy Alfaro, 311 deputy director, will take Reiskin’s old job.

Ben Rosenfield, an assistant city administrator, will fill the controller’s position for Newsom. Mirian Saez is the interim director of the San Francisco Housing Authority taking over for Gregg Fortner, who resigned in September after Newsom’s request for offers of resignation.

Heidi Machen lost her job as Taxicab Commission director to now-acting Director Jordanna Thigpen.

On the mayor’s senior staff, the mayor picked up Catherine Dodd from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district office, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s Greening Director Astrid Haryati, and Nancy Rodriguez, who worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Andrew Cuomo.

dsmith@examiner.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

11:53 AM MST on Tue., Jan. 8, 2008 re: "Mayor cleans house ahead of his new term"

Examiner Reader said:
"Three of the seven directors on the high-profile Municipal Transportation Agency board were informed by the Newsom administration over the weekend that their services are no longer needed. One of those told she was being shown the door was Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition" About time, Shahum's EGO is too big to fit into any room seating more than one person. She has no capacity to even want to discuss views that vary a nanometer from her own. I am somewhat surprised she can ride a bike with that sort of lack of balance.

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9:25 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 5, 2008 re: "Newsom keeps Fong on as police chief"

Examiner Reader said:
Ryan's name first came up as a replacement for Chief Fong when Newsom was asking for his appointees to resign. Ryan said at the time that there was no truth to the rumor that he was being considered, but let's hope whomever the next chief is it is a true crime fighter and not a merely politically correct selection.

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3:07 AM MST on Sat., Jan. 5, 2008 re: "Newsom keeps Fong on as police chief"

SF fan said:
Mirkarimi's theory has merit. Ryan could be a good Chief once he studies the terrain in the City's criminal justice landscape. We haven't had a good Chief since Tom Cahill. The lowest point was that Chief that painted the patrol cars powder blue.

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2:10 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008 re: "Feinstein prods Newsom to reveal details about his upcoming nuptials"

EXAMNER READER said:
whose wife is it this time? Once a cheater always a cheater...who cares what bimbo hes marrying...she just said yes to a adulterer two years they will be in divorce court. and why not like someone here stated and was deleted (there was no gerogatory remarks, just telling it like it is)why doesnt Senator Fienstein prod him about what he intends to do with the homeless...sleeping on the streets in this weather. Cheating Adulterer back stabbing mayor newsom

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1:22 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008 re: "Feinstein prods Newsom to reveal details about his upcoming nuptials"

Examiner Reader said:
Once a cheat always a cheat. Interesting Mr. Getti is planning the wedding. I see there is not blood thicker than water with him. Oh thats right he is also a cheater.

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11:40 AM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008 re: "Feinstein prods Newsom to reveal details about his upcoming nuptials"

Examiner Reader said:
I hope Ms. Siebel wants a family because as far as I can tell she's getting a husband and a child in one in this nuptial agreement.

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