FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2026

Contact information:
Greater Vallejo Recreation District
Gabriel Lanusse 
(707) 648-4603
glanusse@gvrd.org 

 

Greater Vallejo Recreation District’s General Manager Announces Retirement
After 15 years of service, Gabriel Lanusse leaves a legacy of resilience and community connection

VALLEJO, CA - After 15 years at Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) and more than 35 years working for public agencies, Gabriel (Gabe) Lanusse has announced his retirement at the beginning of July. Lanusse has been General Manager for over nine years.

"Providing parks and recreation services to Vallejo has been both rewarding and challenging, especially during times like the pandemic. I remained committed to supporting our board, staff and community, building bridges with partners and ensuring our residents continued to experience connection and positive memories."

During his time at GVRD, Lanusse focused strengthening the organization’s core by fostering employee culture, supporting board priorities, enhancing workplace safety, improving infrastructure, growing programming, and stabilizing finances. During the uncertainty of COVID, he mobilized staff to organize a turkey drive, ensuring the district continued to serve the community in meaningful ways.

Lanusse is proud of the progress the District has seen over the years, including building financial reserves, modernizing fiscal systems, creating an HR department, and guiding the organization through COVID. He worked with the School District to secure a 30-year lease on Franklin Middle School and obtained $7.5 million from the state to create a synthetic field and park at Franklin. He updated and strengthened the organization’s structure, led the creation of a 10-year master plan, managed smooth leadership transitions in legal counsel. Additional achievements include collaborating with unions to create disc golf at Hann’s Park, preventing closure of the pool and volunteering for the Vallejo Chamber and Leadership Vallejo. These and other accomplishments have made an impact on GVRD.

As the District looks ahead, Lanusse will support a smooth transition of leadership. “My goal is to pass the baton as smoothly as possible,” Lanusse explains. “Vallejo is a diverse community with many voices, from the public, staff, and other agencies, and the next General Manager will need patience, strong financial stewardship, and the ability to balance competing priorities for the good of the community.”

GVRD will announce the process and timeline for a search for the new General Manager in the near future. The board of directors is committed to finding the right candidate for GVRD’s future.

Lanusse plans to take a break for a few months to spend some quality time with family before volunteering for non-profits focused on the environment and youth.

For further information on this press release contact the General Manager, Gabriel Lanusse at (707) 648-4603 or glanusse@gvrd.org.