City of Palmdale Announces Key Leadership Appointments to Strengthen Service for Residents

PALMDALE, CA — The City of Palmdale has announced the promotions of four accomplished leaders whose experience, institutional knowledge and commitment to public service will help advance the City’s strategic priorities and amplify delivery of high-quality services to residents.

The promotions include Sara Gallagher and Nardy Lopez to assistant city manager, Janelle Samson to deputy city manager and Yvette Barrios to human resources director.

Together, these appointments reflect the City’s continued investment in strong internal leadership and a resident-focused approach to governance. By elevating proven leaders who know the organization and community well, the City is strengthening its ability to deliver efficient services, support employees, foster innovation and enhance quality of life for Palmdale residents.

“Palmdale residents deserve a city government that is responsive, forward-thinking and committed to results,” said City Manager Sal Mendez. “These promotions recognize four exceptional leaders who have already demonstrated their ability to serve our community with integrity and excellence. Promoting from within is a win for our organization and a win for residents because it builds on experience, trust and a deep understanding of Palmdale’s needs.”

As assistant city manager, Sara Gallagher oversees Public Works, Public Safety and Communications, providing executive leadership and strategic direction for several of the City’s core service areas. Gallagher brings more than 25 years of public service experience, with extensive expertise in public safety, community-oriented policing, regulatory enforcement and municipal operations. Since joining the City in 2007, she has steadily advanced through the organization from code enforcement officer to senior code enforcement officer, community compliance supervisor, community compliance manager and deputy city manager. Throughout her career, she has played key roles in strengthening operations, improving service delivery and building collaborative partnerships across City departments and with the community. In her current role, Gallagher is responsible for more than 150 employees and is actively involved in citywide strategic initiatives, budget development and fiscal management. She also brings significant experience in contract negotiation and administration, operational leadership and program implementation to enhance organizational effectiveness and community service. Gallagher holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and a Master of Public Administration. In 2024, she completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education.

As assistant city manager, Nardy Lopez will oversee Economic and Community Development, Parks and Recreation, City Clerk and Legislative Affairs. Lopez has dedicated 18 years to serving Palmdale residents and has built a reputation as a relationship-driven and community-focused leader. During her career, she has served in several important City roles and led initiatives with lasting community impact, including implementation of the City’s first small business program, which delivered more than $1 million in grants, support for small business attraction and retention, oversight of the Paul George Food for Families initiative during the pandemic and leadership of the City’s award-winning 2020 Census Outreach Campaign, which helped increase participation and contributed to a reported population increase of more than 10%, earning the U.S. Census Bureau Gold Partnership Award. In her role as deputy city manager, Lopez has also overseen the Communications division and led efforts related to community wellbeing and fentanyl awareness. Lopez holds a Bachelor of Science in business, a Master of Arts in management and a Master of Business Administration, underscoring her broad leadership and management background.

“Each of these leaders has earned the confidence of the organization through hard work, vision and a proven commitment to public service,” states City Manager Mendez. “Their experience will help the City continue improving operations, strengthening public trust and delivering the kind of service our residents expect and deserve.”

As deputy city manager, Janelle Samson will oversee Information Technology, Finance and Special Projects. Samson brings 15 years of progressively responsible experience in public and private administration, with extensive expertise in finance, operations and technology. Since joining the City, she has played a critical role in major fiscal and strategic initiatives, including adoption of a balanced $426 million FY 2025/26 budget, implementation of financial systems that improved efficiency and accuracy, management of the City’s investment portfolio and work on transformative efforts such as formation of the state’s largest Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District and a voter-approved sales tax measure generating approximately $23 million in annual revenue. She also helped the City earn national and statewide recognition for budgeting and financial reporting for six consecutive years. Samson holds a Bachelor of Science in business/accounting, a Master of Science in Accountancy and a public financial management postgraduate certificate from the University of Kentucky. In 2024, she also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education.

As human resources director, Yvette Barrios will lead the City’s people and culture strategy and oversee talent acquisition, labor and employee relations, compensation and classification, organizational development and workforce planning. Barrios brings a well-rounded human resources background spanning both the public and private sectors, including more than 19 years in public-sector human resources and a decade of experience modernizing HR practices in private-sector healthcare organizations. She is recognized for her people-centered leadership style and her focus on building a professional, accountable and service-driven workforce. Barrios holds an associate degree in early childhood education, a bachelor’s degree in human development and a master’s degree in organizational leadership, reflecting her commitment to leadership development, organizational effectiveness and strong workplace culture.

“These promotions reflect the strength of Palmdale’s leadership team and our commitment to developing talented professionals from within the organization,” continues Mendez. “Sara, Nardy, Janelle and Yvette each bring unique experience and proven leadership that will help us operate more effectively as an organization and better serve our residents. When we align the right leaders with the right responsibilities, the entire community benefits.”

The City’s executive leadership structure is designed to strengthen coordination across departments, improve service delivery and position Palmdale for transformational progress. At the center of that effort is a leadership team with deep knowledge of the community and a clear focus on delivering results for residents.