Joe Arellano is a public relations and political strategist with more than 15 years of experience managing crisis communications and high-stakes media relations for candidates, elected officials, ballot measures, professional sports teams, tech companies and housing developers.
He is the founder and CEO of Joe Arellano Communications, a public relations firm specializing in media relations, crisis communications and public affairs. Arellano served as a spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and he currently serves as president of the city’s Juvenile Probation Commission for San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Previously, Arellano was the vice president of communications for the Bay Area Council, a regional chamber of commerce that works to influence public policy for the Bay Areaʼs largest businesses. Arellano served as communications director for billionaire presidential candidate Tom Steyer’s Center for the Next Generation. He also worked in communications roles for Congresswoman Jackie Speier and former U.S. Senator Mark Udall.
Arellano is fluent in Spanish, and he frequently serves as a political commentator for mainstream and Spanish-language news outlets. Arellano graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in political science. He is the third member of his family to graduate from San Francisco’s prestigious public high school, Lowell High School. A native San Franciscan, Arellano currently resides in Noe Valley with his wife and son.

2012-Present
Joe Arellano Communications
Founder - Principal
2010-Present
San Francisco Juvenile Probation Commissioner
Three-term commission president and current president. Appointed by Gavin Newsom (2010) Reappointed by Ed Lee (2014), and Mark Farrell (2018).
2011-2012
Next Generation
Communications Director
2010-2011
Bay Area Council
Vice President of Communications
2006-2010
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
Deputy Communications Director
2005-2006
California State Senator Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough
Field Representative and District Press
2004-2005
U.S. Senator Mark Udall, D-CO
Intern and District Press