News Release: City Administrator's Office Leadership Appointments

Published on December 23, 2025

Oakland, CA -- The City Administrator’s Office is pleased to share the following updates about our work to reinforce the Administration’s leadership team. Effective January 5, 2026:

Oakland Animal Services: After serving as the acting Director since January, Deputy City Administrator Joe DeVries has agreed to step into the Director role for Oakland Animal Services on a permanent basis. His leadership, institutional knowledge, and dedication to public service have been invaluable, and this appointment ensures continuity and stability for the department and the community it serves. We appreciate Joe’s willingness to continue serving the City in this capacity. As a Deputy City Administrator, he has led the Sustainability team to major accomplishments and awards, helped launch the City’s forward-looking Artificial Intelligence Working Group, and served as the City’s Chief Privacy Officer. In the past year at OAS, his efforts included stabilizing the budget, a major revision to the Animal Control Ordinance, and expansion of the partnership with Friends of Oakland Animal Services. Director DeVries said, “The animals we serve deserve a full-time director and I look forward to leaning into this opportunity to make sure they receive the best care possible.”

Oakland Public Works: Liam Garland will assume the role of Oakland Public Works Director. Liam brings 29 years of public service and a commitment to improving the quality of life for Oakland residents. Over the past 13 years, he has helped the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland become better stewards of public infrastructure. Most recently, he has served as the department’s Assistant to the Director and Assistant Director. This return to Oakland is especially meaningful, as he began his municipal career in 2001 as the first-hired Neighborhood Law Corps attorney serving West Oakland. His breadth of experience, commitment to public service, and understanding of Oakland positions him well to lead the Public Works Department into its next chapter.

Deputy City Administrator: Sofia Navarro will assume the role of Deputy City Administrator. She brings more than a decade of executive leadership experience across the nonprofit and public sectors, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, economic opportunity, and inclusive growth. Navarro most recently served as Executive Director of the Oakland Workforce Development Board and has held several interim leadership roles for the City, including Director of Economic and Workforce Development, Assistant City Administrator, and Director of Human Services. In these roles, she led the City’s workforce strategy, overseeing multimillion-dollar investments, coordinating sector-based initiatives, and aligning workforce systems with the needs of Oakland residents and businesses. Navarro also provided enterprise-level operational leadership, supporting City Council and mayoral priorities, managing interdepartmental initiatives, and overseeing the delivery of critical human services programs serving Oakland’s most vulnerable residents.

As Deputy City Administrator, Navarro will work closely with Assistant City Administrator Michelle Phillips to continue providing support to the Human Services Department and the Oakland Children’s Initiative. She will also support intergovernmental relations, City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, and special projects in coordination with the Mayor’s Office.

We thank all three of these leaders for their dedication, leadership, and service.

Finally, the City Administrator's Office wishes to thank Director Josh Rowan, who has served as both the permanent director of the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) and the temporary director of Oakland Public Works (OPW) for several months. He remains the Director of OakDOT, and we are grateful for Director Rowan’s dedication and willingness to support the City's operational needs during a period of transition.

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