by John Glidden | glid24@protonmail.com | February 26, 2025
VALLEJO – A familiar face may be coming back to the city of Vallejo, albeit temporarily.
The Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) Board of Directors will be asked on Thursday to consider a proposal from Daniel Keen Consulting to conduct a facilitated performance evaluation of GVRD General Manager Gabe Lanusse.
Keen served as Vallejo’s City Manager from 2012 to 2017, bringing stability to the city’s CEO position following a spate of city managers. Keen was credited for ushering in Vallejo’s first post-bankruptcy budget in 2012 and for his leadership following the August 2014 South Napa earthquake.
Keen would lead a comprehensive assessment of Lanusse, including interviewing GVRD board members, and preparing a report that would “identify major themes, summarize perceptions of strengths and weaknesses, and provide a list of suggested goals and opportunities to enhance working relationships and leadership effectiveness,” for Lanusse, according to Keen’s proposal.
Lanusse began with GVRD as a park supervisor in 2011, while also serving as maintenance superintendent before being promoted to general manager in 2017 following the departure of longtime GM Shane McAffee
“The facilitated performance review is an excellent way to obtain constructive feedback from the Board,” according to Keen’s proposal. “Using an interview-based format, each member of the Board is able to give anonymous feedback which is then blended to produce a ‘big picture’ view of the General Manager’s performance.
“In my experience, this process produces rich, meaningful feedback, while ensuring that all Board members have an equal opportunity to provide input,” Keen added.
Keen would receive $7,500 for his services, with the evaluation process taking two to three months.
The board of directors will also be asked to take possible action on creating clearer separation between the GVRD and Greater Vallejo Park, Recreation, & Open Space Foundation.
Created in 1994, the foundation is tasked with sponsoring and promoting plans, policies, and programs which further GVRD objectives and to solicit, receive and administer monies collected for those goals.
“While the Foundation may provide several potential advantages to GVRD, the Board
should be aware that the Foundation is closely connected to GVRD,” according to a GVRD staff report. “There is overlap between the Boards for the Foundation and GVRD. In addition, while the Foundation may not have significant staff needs, the Foundation does not have its own employees or volunteers.”
The board will be asked to consider several questions, including “What is the optimal relationship, and respective roles and responsibilities, between the Foundation and GVRD?” “Should the Foundation be more clearly separated from GVRD?” and “After these policy decisions are made, what steps would be required to implement? (For example, would the Foundation need to amend its articles of incorporation and bylaws?)”
Finally, the board will pick real property negotiators for the controversial McIntyre Ranch area.
The GVRD Board of Directors will meet at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, February 27 inside the Administrative Office-Board Room, 401 Amador Street, Vallejo.
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