Rufus Jeffris

Rufus is responsible for communications, media relations and event management for the Bay Area Council. He works to promote the Council’s leadership role on a wide range of regional and statewide public policy issues.

Rufus came to the Council with 25 years of experience in journalism, marketing communications and political communications. Early in his career, Rufus worked as a reporter and editor for a number of Bay Area community weekly and daily newspapers, including guiding the start-up of an award-winning weekly community newspaper. He served as Editorial Director for Bank of America’s consumer retail website, developing the bank’s online editorial brand guidelines and leading a team of six writers in developing the bank’s online content.

Prior to joining the Council, Rufus was vice president of communications at Barnes Mosher Whitehurst Lauter & Partners, one of San Francisco’s leading public affairs and political communications firms. He managed numerous successful political campaigns for ballot measures that secured millions of dollars in funding for schools, hospitals and transportation. Working with a statewide, nonprofit economic development organization, Rufus organized and led conferences on clean technology, land use/transportation and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He also organized key leadership meetings as part of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s trade missions to China, Mexico and Canada.