The Vallejo City Manager serves as chief executive officer and is hired by the Vallejo City Council.
Mike Malone
City Manager: April 2022 – Present
Interim City Manager: October 2021 — April 2022
Water Director: April 2017 — October 2021
Malone was originally hired as the city’s water director in April 2017 by then-City Manager Daniel Keen. Malone was tapped to be interim city manager on Oct. 8, 2021, following the resignation of then-interim City Manager Anne Cardwell.
The Vallejo City Council made Malone the permanent city manager in April 2022 via a 4-1 vote. Yeas: McConnell, Verder-Aliga, Dew, and Loera-Diaz. No: Arriola. Absent: Brown and Miessner.
Employment Agreement as City Manager (April 2022)
Employment Agreement as Interim City Manager (September 2021)
Final Job Offer and Employment Contract as Water Director (2017)
Anne Cardwell
Interim City Manager: July — October 2021
Acting City Manager: June — July 2021
Assistant City Manager: December 2018 — June 2021
Anne Cardwell was hired as assistant city manager in December 2018 by then-City Manager Greg Nyhoff. Cardwell was made acting city manager in June 2021 following the sudden disappearance of Nyhoff from city hall. She was then tapped to serve as interim city manager in July 2021 following the resignation of Nyhoff. Cardwell left the city organization in October 2021 to become finance director with the city of Napa.
Official Letter of Resignation (August 2021)
Employment Agreement as Interim City Manager (July 2021)
Employment Agreement as Assistant City Manager (December 2018)
Conditional Offer of Employment as Assistant City Manager (November 2018)
Greg Nyhoff
City Manager: January 2018 — July 2021
Greg Nyhoff was hired as city manager in January 2018. His tenure was fraught with controversy. Nyhoff was criticized for his handling of a badge bending scandal involving the city’s police department and during his time with Vallejo, there was significant turnover within City Hall as multiple high-ranking positions became vacant. Nyhoff suddenly disappeared from city hall over Memorial Day 2021 with an undisclosed medical ailment. He never returned as the city council ultimately approved a $577,536 resignation and separation agreement with him months later.
Resignation and Separation Agreement (Signed, July 9, 2021)
Resignation and Separation Agreement (unsigned)
Employment Agreement (Entered into on Dec. 14, 2017)
Teri Killgore
Interim City Manager: November 2017 — January 2018
Assistant City Manager: May 2016 — November 2017
Teri Killgore was hired as assistant city manager in May 2016 by then-City Manager Daniel Keen. Following Daniel Keen’s retirement, Killgore was tapped to serve as interim city manager from November 2017 to January 2018. She returned to the assistant city manager position in January 2018 with the hiring of Gregory Nyhoff as city manager. She left the city organization in July 2018.
Employment Agreement (Entered into September 2017)
Daniel Keen
City Manager: March 2012 — November 2017
Daniel Keen was hired as city manager in March 2012. He led the city through its post-bankruptcy years before retiring from city government in November 2017.
First Amendment to Employment Agreement (2015)
Employment Agreement (Entered into on Jan. 18, 2012)
Gillian Hayes
Assistant City Manager: April 2022 — Present
Interim Assistant City Manager: July 2021 — April 2022
Interim Deputy City Manager: October 2020 — July 2021
Planning & Development Services Director: October 2019 — October 2020
Gillian Hayes was originally hired as the city’s planning & development services director in October 2019 by then-City Manager Greg Nyhoff and was promoted to the now defunct interim deputy city manager position in October 2020 by Nyhoff. Hayes 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. Following the city council’s decision to make Water Director Mike Malone the permanent city manager in April 2022, Hayes was made the permanent assistant city manager by Malone at the same time.
Differential Pay Authorization as Interim Assistant City Manager (2021)
Differential Pay Authorization as Interim Deputy City Manager (2020)
Employment Agreement (2019)
Revised Offer of Employment (November 15, 2019)
Conditional Offer of Employment (September 4, 2019)
Terrance Davis
Assistant City Manager: April 2022 — Present
Interim Assistant City Manager: November 2021 — April 2022
Public Works Director: August 2017 — November 2021
Terrance Davis was as the city’s public works director by then-City Manager Daniel Keen in August 2017. Davis was elevated to interim assistant city manager by then-Interim City Manager Mike Malone in November 2021.
In early 2022, the city council signed off on the second assistant city manager position by officially funding the position during a mid-year budget discussion, retroactively approving Davis’ promotion.
Employment Agreement (July 2017)
Conditional Offer of Employment (July 2017)
Heather Ruiz
Interim Deputy City Manager: October 2020 – March 2021
Human Resources Director: July 2018 — October 2020
*Heather Ruiz was hired as the city’s human resources director by then-City Manager Greg Nyhoff in July 2018. Ruiz was promoted to interim deputy city manager in October 2020 by Nyhoff. Ruiz left the city organization in March 2021 to take a job with the city of Napa.
Differential Pay Authorization as Interim Deputy City Manager (2020)
Conditional Offer of Employment (May 2018)
Natalie Peterson
Assistant to the City Manager – Homelessness Manager: August 2022 — Present
Interim Assistant to the City Manager: April — August 2022
Administrative Analyst: July 2021 — April 2022
Housing and Community Developoment Analyst: August 2020 — July 2021
Natalie Peterson began her tenure with the city of Vallejo as an analyst within the housing division in August 2020. Peterson was promoted to an administrative analyst in July 2021 before being tapped to serve interim assistant to the city manager in April 2022. In August 2022, City Manager Mike Malone named Peterson as the permanent assistant city manager and homelessness manager, leading the city’s efforts to provide services for the unsheltered population in town.
Jason Ackley
Assistant to the City Manager: August 2022 — Present
Administrative Analyst (Public Works): December 2019 — August 2022
Administrative Analyst (Finance): May 2014 — December 2019
Felicia Escover
Assistant to the City Manager: July 2021 — March 2022
Administrative Analyst: March 2020 — July 2021
*Felicia Escover (née Flores) was hired as an administrative analyst in March 2020. She was made assistant to the city manager by then-Interim City Manager Anne Cardwell in July 2021.
Conditional Offer of Employment as Administrative Analyst II (February 2020)
Will Morat
Assistant to the City Manager – Economic Development: October 2018 — April 2020.
Interim Housing & Community Development Manager: January — October 2018
Administrative Analyst: December 2013 — January 2018
Will Morat was first hired as an administrative analyst by then-City Manager Daniel Kenn in December 2013. Morat was promoted to interim housing & community development manager in January 2018. He was later elevated to assistant to the city manager for economic development.
Offer of Employment (December 2013)
Joanna Leal
Assistant to the City Manager – Communications & Special Projects: March 2016 — April 2020
Administrative Analyst: October 2012 — March 2016
*Joanna Leal (née Altman) was hired by then-City Manager Daniel Keen in October 2012 as an administrative analyst in the city manager’s office. Leal was elevated to the position of assistant to the city manager for communications & special projects in March 2016. She served as Vallejo’s spokesperson numerous times.
Offer of Employment (September 2012)
Communications
Christina Lee
Communications and Public Information Officer: March 2020 –Present
Conditional Offer of Employment (February 2020)
Lyan Joy Pernala
Administrative Analyst and Public Information Officer: January to May 2019
Resignation Letter (May 2019)
Conditional Offer of Employment (December 2018)
Coordinators
Shelee Loughmiller
Community and Volunteer Coordinator: April 2019 — Present
Conditional Offer of Employment (March 2019)
Victoria Grace-Barksdale
Youth Coordinator: August 2022 — Present
Special Advisors (Economic Development)
Michael Nimon
Senior Advisor to the City Manager: August 2022 — Present
Michael Nimon replaces Paul Kelley, who held a similar position for two years before the position was eliminated.
City officials let the position lapse on June 30, 2022, with the intent of resurrecting the economic development manager position, but that plan was quickly abandoned as city staff asked the Vallejo City Council to reestablish the special advisor position. The council obliged the request in July 2022.
The position will oversee the economic development division until August 2023.
Paul Kelley
Senior Advisor to the City Manager: May 2020 — June 2022
Paul Kelley was hired to serves as economic development manager overseeing the city’s economic development division following the termination of Slater Matzke in April 2020.
Conditional Offer of Employment (May 2020)
Offer of Employment (March 2020)
Slater Matzke, senior advisor to City Manager Greg Nyhoff, January 20 – April 23, 2020
Matzke began with the city as a FUSE Executive Fellow — tasked with improving the city’s image and also bringing investment opportunities to Vallejo — in September 2016. When his year term ended, the city hired Matzke as a consultant aiding the city’s economic development and marketing.
He was then named as senior advisor to Vallejo City Manager Greg Nyhoff before he was terminated in April 2020.
Conditional Offer of Employment (January 2020)
Fourth Amendment to Consultant and Professional Services Agreement (December 2019)
Third Amendment to Consultant and Professional Services Agreement (July 2019)
Second Amendment to Consultant and Professional Services Agreement (July 2018)
First Amendment to Consultant and Professional Services Agreement (June 2018)
Consultant and Professional Services Agreement (October 2017)
Special Advisors (Police)
Daniel Hahn
Senior Advisor to City Manager Mike Malone: November 2022 — Present
Howard Jordan
Senior Advisor to City Manager Greg Nyhoff: May 2019 — June 2020
Statement of Work (2019)
JohnGlidden.com 