Local woman named new CSP-Solano warden

California State Prison-Solano, one of two state prisons in Vacaville, will be headed by a local resident.

In his latest round of appointments, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Giselle “Gigi” Matteson as the new warden at CSP-Solano, where she had served as acting warden since 2019 following the departure of Robert Neuschmid.

According to Newsom’s announcement, Matteson had previously held a variety of titles at CSP-Solano, including deputy warden and associate warden. Prior to that, she held various positions at San Quentin State Prison from 2007 to 2013, was an associate governmental program analyst at he California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Reception Center Mission in Sacramento from 2006 to 2007, and sev

eral positions at Vacaville’s other state prison, California Medical Facility, from 1996 to 2006.

The warden position does not require confirmation by the state Senate, and Matteson’s compensation will be $162,024, according to a news release. She is a registered Democrat.

Newsom’s other recent appointments include Katie D. James of Woodland as the chief of CDCR’s Office of Victim Services, Matthew Atchley of Cameron Park as the warden of Salinas Valley State Prison, Beatriz Gonzalez of Indio and Vivian Perez of Holtville to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, Essra Mostafavi of Bishop to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and Donald C. Young of Morgan Hill to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.