In May of 2014, Mayor Ed Lee appointed Debbie as the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, a city agency that creates visionary policies and programs to ensure a sustainable future for San Francisco. Raphael returned to San Francisco after three years leading the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, where she enacted the groundbreaking Safer Consumer Products program that has removed toxic chemicals from consumer products sold in California and beyond.
Raphael believes that cities like San Francisco are incubators for bold action that results in meaningful change. Her approach to environmental decision-making focused on using rigorous science and robust community participation to ensure that all voices are honored. This perspective has allowed her to succeed in addressing some of the most challenging environmental problems, including addressing climate change, circular economies, and community resilience.
During her 30 years of public service at city, county, and state levels, Raphael has crafted and implemented award-winning programs in zero waste, toxics reduction, clean energy and transportation, and green building. Debbie was named by Apolitical as one of the world’s 100 most impactful leaders on climate change and by Climate Insider as one of the 10 Climate Voices to Know in 2024. She is a strategic advisor to academic institutions, businesses large and small, non-profits, philanthropic organizations, and governments around the world.
