Meet Sophie Maxwell
Sophie Maxwell is a proud native of San Francisco whose journey reflects the spirit of the city she calls home. In the early 1970s, she moved from Haight-Ashbury to Bayview–Hunters Point. Her mother, Enola D. Maxwell—Presbyterian minister and executive director of the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House—modeled a life of service, providing assistance for underserved children and families. Guided by her mother’s example and inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Sophie embraced the belief that community service carries both strength and dignity, and that it has the power to transform lives in lasting and meaningful ways.
In January 2011, as Sophie completed her third term as Supervisor, the Potrero Power Plant was permanently shut down—a hard-won victory that marked a turning point for the neighborhood and a powerful symbol of how communities can reclaim both their environment and their future. This achievement underscored Sophie’s belief that real change happens when residents, policymakers, environmentalists, and government at the local, state, and federal levels join forces in pursuit of a common goal.
In 2019, Maxwell was appointed to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where she continued to champion sustainable infrastructure projects and environmental issues. Her legacy remains visible today—especially in the Power Station redevelopment.
It is altogether fitting that the first workforce housing project bears her name. Sophie Maxwell’s story is a testament to the power of community to reshape both the city’s landscape and its pursuit of justice. It shows how lasting, positive change is possible when citizens organize, demand accountability, and elect leaders who recognize the strength of collective action. This building stands as both a tribute to Sophie’s grit and determination and a living symbol of the power of community and collective leadership.
She began her professional life as one of the few women working as a union electrician, breaking barriers in a field dominated by men. Yet it was her experience in Bayview–Hunters Point that truly ignited her calling - to harness the power of community and collective leadership. She saw firsthand the challenges her neighbors faced—generations of families tied to shipyards and ironworks, high rates of asthma in southeastern waterfront neighborhoods, and the heartbreak of her own son’s cancer diagnosis. When she learned Bayview was slated for redevelopment, she feared the displacement and fragmentation already experienced in the Fillmore. Rather than stand by, Sophie rose up— and joined coalitions with neighbors, environmental groups, and policymakers to address the city’s troubled legacy of environmental injustice.
Known for her warmth, her distinctive style, and her ability to connect across every walk of life, Sophie became a voice for her community and a force for change. She pushed for investment, cleanup, and accountability in neighborhoods too long overlooked. In 2001, after years of working alongside grassroots organizers, she was elected District 10 Supervisor. Her goal was clear and unwavering: to help her neighbors feel empowered, to strengthen their sense of community, and to show them that together they could change the course of their future. Her work on the Bayview–Hunters Point, Potrero Power Plant and other environmental justice issues became a model of collective leadership and community-driven advocacy, proving that the formation of true partnerships could indeed improve lives.