Gail Shibley takes a position as the assistant director for business services at the Oregon Youth Authority.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The chief of staff to Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, Gail Shibley, is leaving City Hall to work a assistant director for business services at the Oregon Youth Authority.
Hales hired Shibley after the 2012 election.
WWreported in Murmurs last week that Shibley seemed to be out at City Hall, despite denials from Hales’ office. Shibley helped Hales weather a series of crises—including an attempted takeover of the city’s water and sewer utilities in the May 2014 election. Shibley was also the subject of a state civil rights complaint last year.
Today’s news comes nearly two weeks after rumors began circulating that Shibley would leave. Last week, mayoral spokesman Dana Haynes flatly denied Shibley was going anywhere. “She’s not leaving,” Haynes told WW on June 9.
(SOURCE: Willamette Week)
Shibley said in a news release: “It has been a professional privilege and personal honor to serve as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff. I am proud of the work we have done together, and know I leave at a good time for our office team, City operations and the people of Portland. The offer to join OYA was simply too terrific an opportunity for me to pass up, as I can join an enlightened public safety agency focused on helping our young people lead productive, crime-free lives.”
Hales named Shibley to head hs office in December 2012. During her time at City Hall, she has been involved in several top-level police reform efforts, including police union negotiations and the U.S. Department of Justice’s settlement agreement with the city. She also led the mayor’s budget process, championed its new performance management system, spearheaded the effort to secure the 2016 World Indoor Track & Field Championships and was the Mayor’s lead in discussions with Google to provide synchronous broadband residential fiber service.
“Gail has done an exemplary job leading my office. She never sought the spotlight, wanting the work to speak for itself and her staff to get the credit,” Hales said in the statement. “The team and systems she’s assembled are top-notch and, as a result, the city is well-positioned to achieve even more and better results in the years ahead. I have enormous respect for Gail and great appreciation that she left State service to help our city these past years. I look forward to working with her in her new role.”
(SOURCE: Portland Tribune)
According to Willamette Week, Hales’ staffer Josh Alpert is rumored “to be Shibley’s probable replacement.”
