The former city manager of Selma, Calif., who resigned after city officials there voted to enter into a separation agreement with her, has been hired as the new assistant city manager in Palm Springs.
Teresa Gallavan served as city manager in Selma from 2018 until 2021. Following a 3-2 vote in closed session by the Selma City Council to remove her from her position in May, she submitted her resignation.
The reason for Gallavan’s removal has never been made public. Following separation, Selma paid out a portion of her contract worth over $148,000. Her salary in Palm Springs will be $215,652, a city spokesperson said.
Prior to working in Selma, an agricultural community of just under 25,000 residents in Fresno County, Gallavan served as interim city manager in Lompoc, Calif. She also served in that city as economic development director and assistant city manager from 2011 through 2018.
Prior to Lompoc, Gallavan worked for the Riverside County Economic Development Agency for 15 years, the last seven years as the agency’s marketing and cultural services manager, overseeing marketing, the county’s library system and the Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens.
“Over the past several years, Palm Springs has experienced a tremendous renaissance and I am thrilled to join the team and help Palm Springs continue to prosper post-COVID,” Gallavan said in a news release issued by the city of Palm Springs. “With a background in economic development, I look forward to promoting the iconic Palm Springs brand and destination and I am incredibly excited to work with the City Manager, Council and Staff moving forward.”
Gallavan holds a masters of business administration from California State University, San Bernardino, and a bachelor of arts in Spanish from the University of California, Irvine. She will begin her new position in Palm Springs in mid-November.
“I am thrilled to be bringing Teresa on to join our team,” said Palm Springs City Manager Justin Clifton. “This is an important position that plays a key role in leading the organization and working on some of the most important policy issues. I am grateful we have found a thoughtful, experienced leader who I am confident will hit the ground running.”
Gallavan replaces Marcus Fuller, who left to become city manager in Rialto in May. Fuller has since hired a pair of Palm Springs staff members — Cynthia Alvarado-Crawford, the former director of the Palm Springs Parks and Recreation Department who is now director of community services in Rialto, and Arron Brown, who served as IT director and deputy city manager in Palm Springs, and is now the deputy city manager in Rialto.
