The 2019 Silver SPUR Awards, held on October 22, recognized four individuals whose achievements have made San Francisco and the Bay Area a better place to live and work.
Charles M. Collins is president and CEO of the YMCA of San Francisco. Chuck has worked in law, city planning and real estate development, and is the author of “The African Americans” and senior editor of “A Day in the Life of Africa.”
He holds a Master of City Planning from MIT and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Chuck has practiced law and was deputy secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency for the State of California. He directed a comprehensive study incorporating economic and fiscal considerations, land use planning, transportation systems and housing requirements resulting in the Downtown Plan for San Francisco. From 1983 to 2002, Chuck was president and chair of WDG Ventures, Inc., the real estate development and investment company behind projects like the Metreon and the Four Seasons.
Chuck serves on a number of boards and commissions, including the San Francisco Arts Commission, UCSF Center for Community Engagement Council, the Commonwealth Club, the ShapeUp SF Coalition and SFMOMA.