by John Glidden | glid24@protonmail.com | July 1, 2026
VALLEJO – Assistant City Manager Gillian Haen has been hired as Chico’s next permanent city manager — after spending the past seven-years in various senior-level positions for the city of Vallejo.
The Vallejo Times-Herald first to reported the news on Wednesday.
Haen’s employment agreement is expected to be approved by the Chico City Council during its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 7. She will earn $285,000 per year in base salary, receive a monthly vehicle allowance of $400, and a monthly cell phone allowance of $75, while also receiving $15,000 for moving expenses, according to her employment agreement.
When reached for comment, Vallejo spokesman Robert Briseño told JohnGlidden.com on Wednesday afternoon that “currently the city has no comment on this matter.” He also confirmed that “there are no plans to fill the role.”
The confirmation that the position won’t be filled comes as the Vallejo City Council voted last week to cut 10 jobs, along with eliminating 44 vacant employee positions, including 30 in the Vallejo Police Department. The cuts came amid budgetary concerns for the new fiscal year, which began on Wednesday.
Haen, who has served as assistant city manager for more than four years, currently earns an annual salary of $263,778, which is the highest step on the current assistant city manager salary scale.
Meanwhile, Vallejo’s other assistant city manager, Nalungo Mwanga-Conley, is one step below Haen on the assistant city manager salary scale. Mwanga-Conley earns $251,217 annually.
Haen’s time with Vallejo has been fraught with controversy including having at least two former senior city hall employees allege that Haen harassed them during their time with the city.
Former Housing Manager Judy Shepard-Hall sued the city in 2023, alleging that Haen (then known as Gillian Hayes) had bullied her, and even yelled at Shepard-Hall in front of another city staffer. Shepard-Hall eventually settled her lawsuit, receiving $130,000 from the city.
Meanwhile, Christina Lee, the city’s spokesperson from 2020 to 2024, filed a lawsuit against the city last year, alleging that Haen, former City Manager Mike Malone and former Assistant City Manager Terrance Davis failed to act after she reported inappropriate and unethical behavior.
The lawsuit alleges that Haen ordered Assistant to the City Manager Natalie Peterson, to delete text messages relating to housing and homelessness in violation of the California Public Records Act. Peterson serves as the city’s homelessness coordinator.
That lawsuit is on-going.
Haen was originally hired as Vallejo’s planning & development services director in October 2019 by then-City Manager Greg Nyhoff.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city council granted Nyhoff emergency powers, which he used to create the now defunct “deputy city manager” position in October 2020. Nyhoff named Haen and then-Human Resources Director Heather Ruiz as interim deputy city managers.
Creation of the deputy city manager position came six months after Nyhoff fired three senior department heads in April 2020: Will Morat, assistant to the city manager for economic development, Slater Matzke, special advisor to the city manager, and Joanna Altman, assistant to the city manager for communications and special projects.
Haen was then promoted to interim assistant city manager in July 2021 by then-Assistant City Manager Anne Cardwell following her elevation to interim city manager. Cardwell served first as “acting” city manager and then interim city manager following the sudden disappearance of Nyhoff in June 2021 with an undisclosed medical condition.
Cardwell would leave in October 2021 to become finance director with the city of Napa. Upon her recommendation, the council named then-Water Director Mike Malone interim city manager — Vallejo’s third city manager of 2021. The council made Malone the permanent city manager in April 2022. At the same time, Malone appointed Haen the permanent assistant city manager.
In a statement to the Times-Herald, Haen said she was “honored for the opportunity to serve the Chico community.”
“My focus will be on maintaining the city’s successes, prioritizing strong fiscal stewardship, providing responsive public service, and building trust through collaboration as we work together to meet the city’s challenges and future opportunities,” she added.
Haen is expected to begin with the city of Chico next month.