Vallejo hires new public information officer

by John Glidden | glid24@protonmail.com | March 22, 2025

VALLEJO – Almost a full year after losing its public information officer, the city of Vallejo has turned to a familiar face to fill the crucial position.

Vallejoan Robert Briseño has been tapped to serve as Vallejo’s new Communications and Public Information Officer, replacing Christina Lee, who left the city in late June 2024 for a similar position at Solano Community College.

“Robert will be responding to media inquiries for the city of Vallejo while assisting with the city’s publication of the Vallejo Weekly and the city’s social media,” according to a press release announcing Briseño’s hiring.

Briseño will start with the city on March 24, and make an annual salary of $159,658, according to a conditional offer of employment. He will also report to Community Engagement Manager Sharon Lund.

The hiring comes about a month after Lee filed a lawsuit against the city alleging she was harassed and bullied by senior-level city employees. The lawsuit names former City Manager Mike Malone, former Assistant City Manager Terrance Davis and current City Assistant Manager Gillian Haen.

Briseño has a B.S. degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve, the city said. He founded BB&B Business Group, which launched the Local Happenings magazine. Briseño also serves as a member of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District Board of Directors. It is not immediately known if he will have to resign from the board after accepting the city job.

Vallejo City Manager Andrew Murray has other top city hall positions to fill, including fire chief, the second assistant city manager position, and economic development director.

The fire chief position has been staffed with at least three interim picks for more than 11 months following the sudden removal of Kyle Long by then-City Manager Mike Malone in April 2024. Murray, who started with the city in mid-May 2024, agreed to a separation agreement with Long in June 2024. Long received three months severance equal to more than $63,000.

Murray tapped Frank Drayton, who served as Vacaville’s fire chief from 2012 to 2015, as Vallejo’s interim fire chief, in June 2024. Murray appointed interim Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Gonzales to serve as Vallejo’s new interim fire chief, replacing Drayton who was limited to the number of hours he could work as a retiree under California law, in January 2025.

At the same time, Murray retained Drayton to serve as a fire department consultant. He will receive $95,000 for a year, while also being expected to assist in the developing of fire and life safety policies and procedures, serve as a liaison between the fire department and other city departments, assist in the development of the fire prevention program, and advise on the interpretation of state and local laws and regulations relating to fire services, according to the consultant professional services agreement.

Other vacancies include the second assistant city manager position. Former Assistant City Manager Terrance Davis left Vallejo to become the public works director for the city of Berkeley in April 2024. Davis was originally hired as Vallejo’s public works director in 2017 before being tapped to serve as assistant city manager in 2021.

In January, Vallejo lost its economic development director, Michael Nimon, who accepted a similar position with the city of Walnut Creek, according to his LinkedIn profile. Nimon was originally hired in August 2022 as special advisor to the city manager for economic development replacing Paul Kelly, who served in the position from May 2020 to June 2022.