Mayor Charlie Hales' Chief of Staff is Leaving City Hall

Gail Shibley, chief of staff to Mayor Charlie Hales, is leaving her post.

Shibley, whom Hales hired after winning election in 2012, is the former director of the Oregon Health Authority's Office of Environmental Public Health, and before that, a state legislator. 

She is returning to state service, taking a job as assistant director for business services at the Oregon Youth Authority, which incarcerates juvenile offenders. She is set to start in mid-July, an OYA spokeswoman says.

Hales' spokesman did not immediately return WW's request for comment.

WW reported 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.

Josh Alpert, a top Hales staffer, is said to be Shibley's probable replacement.

WWeek 2015