ROTARY LUNCHEON: Brooke Ray Rivera, Place Lab

Brooke Ray Rivera is Director of Place Lab within the San Francisco Parks Alliance. Brooke Ray brings significant expertise in creative place-making, community development, and public private partnerships through her professional experience in urban planning, city government, and real estate sectors. From 2015-2018 she was Executive Director of then-nonprofit Place Lab before merging it with Parks Alliance in Fall 2018. At Place Lab she led the establishment of the nation’s first Green Benefit District in Dogpatch/Potrero, the creation of Menlo Park’s Economic Development Plan, the design and construction of Dogpatch Arts Plaza and Linden Living Alley, and the merger with Parks Alliance. Prior, she spent six years with Passerelle Investment Company, a community-minded real estate investment group focused on downtown revitalization in Silicon Valley. There she partnered with Rotary Los Altos, SFMOMA, Exploratorium, Christie’s and other public and private partners to enliven downtown Los Altos’ public realm.

Brooke Ray has worked in private, public, and non-profit sectors, and has wide-ranging experience in the realm of sustainable design, from LEED consulting and green infrastructure planning to ecology and marine biology research. Brooke Ray received a B.A. in Biology from Williams College and holds dual Master's degrees in City & Regional Planning (MCP) and Landscape Architecture (MLA) from the University of California, Berkeley.

When properly cared for, urban plazas, parks, and streets unite communities, providing safe shared places to relax, play, connect, and celebrate. When neglected, they divide communities and undermine shared values. Brooke Ray will share the thought process for making better public spaces in San Francisco.

Each luncheon ticket includes a three-course lunch. Tickets are $40 each; $35 for Club members who register online in advance (online registration closes at 5PM the day before the meeting). Payment by credit card or check is preferred. Tickets available for purchase only at the door.