Katie Dignan, hired July 13 as one of the city of Sacramento’s four assistant city managers, has left the position after only eight weeks on the job.
City of Sacramento
After only eight weeks on the job, one of Sacramento’s newest executive leaders is no longer employed by the city.
Katie Dignan was hired July 13 as one of four assistant city managers, powerful positions that directly report to City Manager Maraskeshia Smith. Smith sits at the top of City Hall’s hierarchy along with the mayor.
Dignan resigned Sept. 2 for personal reasons, she said in an interview. That there is no bad blood between her and the city, she said.
“It’s an opportunity, a new adventure, so I’m excited,” she said.
Dignan was tasked with overseeing three departments related to community and economic development.
“I think it’s an amazing time for Sacramento — there’s so much development going on,” she said. “It’s a time for opportunity and a time to make history and I just hope everybody does it right.”
Director of Convention and Cultural Services Megan Van Voorhis was appointed Sept. 5 to serve in the role on an interim basis until a long-term replacement for Dignan is hired, city spokesperson Jennifer Singer said Friday.
Currently only two of the four assistant city manager positions are occupied by permanent employees. Singer confirmed that the city would soon begin recruiting efforts for the fourth assistant city manager position, most recently occupied by Mario Lara, who retired.
Dignan is the second assistant city manager to depart unceremoniously this year. The Sacramento Bee confirmed in April that Michael Jasso was no longer employed by the city after about six years in the role.
The city declined to comment on the circumstances of her sudden departure.
Dignan and Smith previously worked together in Oakland, where Smith served as the city’s assistant city administrator and Dignan as an assistant director of planning and building in 2018. Before taking the job in Sacramento, Dignan was an assistant leader in the East Bay Region Park District’s finance office.
The assistant city manager positions are two of several that the city will need to fill in the coming months. Public Works Director Matt Eierman and interim Human Resources Director Samantha Hardy are both slated to retire soon. The city is still seeking a permanent chief of police as Zachary Bales serves in the interim.
The organizational chart for the city of Sacramento as of Sept. 4. City of Sacramento
This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 1:40 PM.
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Jennah Pendleton covers the city of Sacramento for The Sacramento Bee. She previously reported on local schools. Before joining The Bee, she wrote about education and culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. She grew up in Orange County and is a graduate of the University of Oregon.