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Black History Month: From Foster Care to Foreman -Andre’s 26-Year Journey at the SFPUC

Man wearing a black New York Yankees cap and white shirt sitting in the driver's seat of a car with a parking lot visible outside.
  • Sabrina Suzuki

Portrait of Andre Reynolds, Utility Plumber Supervisor at San Francisco Water Division, framed with colorful African-inspired patterns for Black History Month.

For more than 26 years, Andre Reynolds has been a steady force behind one of San Francisco’s most critical systems: its water. A Utility Plumber Supervisor II and General Foreman of the gateroom at the San Francisco Water Division, Andre helps regulate and protect the water supply that travels from the Sierra Nevada mountains all the way into San Francisco homes and businesses. This Black History Month, we are honored to spotlight Andre’s journey - one defined by resilience, service, and leadership shaped by lived experience.

Andre began his San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) career in August 1999 after entering the trade through the Local 38 apprenticeship program. Today, he supervises 13 gatemen responsible for operating and maintaining the City’s water distribution system, including chlorination of pipelines to ensure water safety. His role requires advanced state licensing and comes with immense responsibility, especially during emergencies. From main breaks to second-alarm fires and greater, Andre responds, assesses conditions, and directs crews to ensure water continues to flow safely when the City needs it most.

Leading with Lived Experience, Andre’s leadership style is deeply influenced by his life experience. Growing up in foster care, serving in the U.S. Navy after high school, and navigating life as a Black man in America have shaped how he manages people and situations. He leads with compassion, patience, and understanding - pausing before judgment and recognizing that life outside of work often affects how people show up on the job. 

“Watching life through my grandmother’s eyes—she lived to be 106—taught me grace, fairness, and perspective," Andre said. "Those lessons stay with me every day, both at work and in life.”

What Black History Month Means to Andre

Five people sitting closely together on a couch in a warmly lit room with wooden blinds behind them.

Black History Month holds deep personal meaning for Andre. As a child, seeing a film about Muhammad Ali sparked pride and shifted how he saw himself and the world. Learning about the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before him gave him strength and purpose. “What doesn’t break you makes you stronger,” he says - a belief reinforced by military service, lived adversity, and decades of perseverance. Andre often shares this wisdom with his three children, reminding them to be aware of who they are, to treat others with respect, and to be the fairness they want to see in an unfair world.

At the San Francisco Water Division, Andre has witnessed - and been part of - meaningful change. When he became a foreman, he was only the second African American foreman in the division’s history. Today, he sees the team as a model for what equity and inclusion can look like when hiring and promotion are based on qualifications, perspective, and potential. Being part of that progress has been one of the highlights of his career.

A Legacy Still in Motion

“As I prepare to retire this coming May, I feel a lot of pride in the work I’ve done and the people I’ve had the chance to mentor. When I look back—from growing up in foster care to building a career here and being able to send my three kids to college—it reminds me that anything is possible. I hope I’m remembered as someone who led with integrity, kept an open door, and showed that where you start doesn’t define where you finish.”