Days after Mayor Barbara Lee claimed a reelection mandate, Oakland replaced three senior City Hall executives.
City Administrator Betsy Lake told staff Friday that transportation director Josh Rowan, human resources director Mary Hao and assistant city administrator Chuck Baker are leaving, The Oaklandside reported. An internal email named Megan Wier as acting OakDOT director, Andrea Mariano as acting human resources director and Lauren Moeslein as acting head of Workplace Employment Standards.
Why it matters: Rowan had overseen bike lanes, paving and traffic-calming projects since spring 2024. Hao handled labor talks. Baker, hired in late 2025, worked on economic development and Coliseum negotiations.
Lee’s spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle that Lake made the decisions with Lee’s support and did not give detailed reasons. Rowan was hired under former Mayor Sheng Thao’s administration; the Chronicle and Oaklandside both note he had clashed with Lake and filed complaints earlier this year after he was removed as acting Public Works director.
Wier previously served as acting OakDOT director before Rowan arrived in 2024.