Kate Anderson was hired as the City & County Surveyor of San Francisco in July of 2022 and held the position through February of 2024, when she resigned to focus on her family. In November of 2024, the city asked Anderson to return, but she turned down the offer due to her other commitments. In February of 2025, again, the city requested for her to return and this time they said they would be open to a part time schedule. She has taken the offer and now is the Interim City & County Surveyor. 

Anderson grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan and went on to attend Michigan State University, graduating in 2000, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management. She later attended San Francisco State and earned her Masters in Geography in 2007. Anderson moved to San Francisco in 2000 and has been living here since. She worked as a project manager for a local surveying and engineering firm from 2001 to 2009. In January of 2010, she founded her own land surveying business, Vara Land Surveying, Inc, which she has stepped aside from since becoming the County Surveyor in 2022. Anderson is also a member of the California Land Surveyors Association (CLSA) the California Map Society. She became a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in 2008. Vara Land Surveying was also a certified local business enterprise and women-owned business enterprise, which allowed Anderson’s business to be awarded a 4-year contract on a consulting team advising the Port of San Francisco. The goal of this project is to develop their waterfront properties known as Pier 70 and Mission Rock, which is across from Oracle Park and near Chase Center. 

During an interview with Kate Anderson, she said, “My role as Interim City & County Surveyor is to oversee San Francisco’s field surveying crews doing work on a variety of public infrastructure projects as well as overseeing the mapping team, which is tasked with reviewing and processing all maps filed within the city and county of San Francisco.” When asked about her goals as county surveyor, she said she has a number of goals as County Surveyor such as, “building a diverse and knowledgeable team capable of handling the responsibilities of my office and to support the city’s major department projects which include Mission Rock, Treasure Island, and Balboa Reservoir, to name a few. Additionally, I strive to attract, train, and educate those interested in a future within the surveying and mapping profession.” When asked about being the first female county surveyor in San Francisco since being founded in 1850, she responded by saying, “I am so proud to be paving the way for anyone interested in this field. Additionally, I am proud and honored to have an opportunity to serve the people of the city and county of San Francisco.”