Desiree Thayer

Desiree Thayer was elected to City Council in November 2024. She currently serves on the Central County Fire Department Board of Directors, Commute.org Board of Directors, C/CAG Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Americans Supporting Americans, SFO Community Round Table (alternate), and Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors (alternate).

Councilmember Thayer is a scientist and alliance management professional. She has over 20 years of experience in biomedical research, including the discovery and development of new medicines in oncology, neurodegeneration, and inflammation. She currently manages alliances across the globe between academia, biotech/biopharma, and tech companies to bring new innovation to life science research.

Councilmember Thayer has been active in community service with organizations focused on education, health, hunger, poverty, and climate change. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2006, she has volunteered as the lead Bay Area community organizer for Oxfam, a docent at the California Academy of Sciences, a board member with the Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame, a Community Advisory Committee appointee and past chair at Peninsula Clean Energy, and a founder and volunteer with San Mateo County's Youth Climate Ambassadors Leadership Program.

Originally from Michigan, Councilmember Thayer is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She was awarded a predoctoral National Science Foundation Award, which she used to support her PhD in biochemistry from Scripps Research Institute. She then completed a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco.

Desiree Thayer serves on Advanced Life Support (Ambulance) JPA, Americans Supporting Americans, Central County Fire Board, Commute.org (formerly Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance), Recycled / Reclaimed Water Technology, and the C / CAG Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee.