Reflecting on your career, what first drew you to local government, and what kept you there? 
I spent most of my Army career in combat engineering or operational testing. I was appointed as the public works and housing director at Fort Ord, California in the fall of 1981. Soon thereafter, I was working closely with the Monterey Peninsula city managers and the county manager on regional shortages of affordable housing, sewage treatment capacity, water availability and highway needs that impacted Fort Ord’s ability to complete its mission and the communities’ ability to complete theirs. I knew very soon after that I wanted to be a city public works director or city manager when I quit having fun in the Army. That finally happened in June 1986.
Which project or initiative are you the most proud of from your time as a city manager?
I was blessed with being able to serve as Monterey’s city manager for over 22 years after five years as public works director, so it is hard to highlight one project or initiative. If forced to pick one, I would say that being able to instill a sense of “servant leadership” and a standard of achieving the “Monterey Way” of quality as an expectation in the staff from the front-line supervisors to the city manager’s office was the most important.
What did you find most fulfilling about the role of city manager? How did it evolve over time?
Demonstrating that government can work when you elect good people, provide the staff policy, leadership, training and the resources to get things done! Over time it would get harder to accomplish depending on how many of the above requirements were missing. I was always blessed with senior staff and employee group leaders that put service to the city above the petty.
What leadership qualities do you believe were most critical to your success as a city manager?
Servant leadership honed during my time at West Point as a cadet and during my 20+ years of Army active duty; allowing my subordinates the opportunity to fail and to learn and grow from the failure because they knew I had their back; and continually providing them “stretch opportunities” to professionally grow and be ready for their next promotion.
How did you manage work-life balance as a city manager?
Not very well. I finally learned to shut off work when I left the office, but not as well as I should have.
How did you engage with the residents of your city/cities? Any memorable experiences?
I used several techniques. The most effective was Monterey’s Neighborhood Improvement Program. This program allocated 16% of the city TOT tax revenue to capital improvements determined by the 14 organized residential neighborhoods. The program was originally put in place to offset the impact of the tourist industry on the 14 neighborhoods. The project selection process was delegated to a board of one representative from each neighborhood. The project deliberation and selection process provided a great opportunity to better understand how the residents prioritized their capital needs and gave the planning and public works staff and the city manager’s office a great opportunity to demonstrate the quality and dedication of the city staff.
One technique I used was having senior staff participate in residential and business neighborhood walks with community leaders, allowing them to see these areas through residents’ eyes. This effort was particularly effective.
The city also implemented the Community and Police Academies to introduce city residents and business leaders to city operations, along with the “Volunteen” program, which brought community teenagers into departments as volunteers and interns. One of my greatest pleasures was watching these teens grow up and become members of the city staff.
Additionally, I supported the Volunteers in Policing (VIP) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs, which focused on engaging community members — often seniors — in meaningful service roles within the city.
What were some of the most significant challenges you faced as a city manager in California?
My most difficult challenges were created by elected officials not understanding their roles and responsibilities as council members and occasionally a council member(s) who believed their election and position absolved them of the requirement to do their duties in an ethical manner. The more normal difficulties were dealing with major military base closures and the economic downturn of the late 2000s.
What emerging trends or challenges do you think current city managers should be prepared for?
There is a general lack of understanding about the significant threats our nation’s adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea pose to the critical infrastructure our communities depend upon for continuity of government and the most basic of subsistence services. City leaders need to learn about the specific threats to their community’s safety and well-being, then take steps to increase the city’s and the residents’ readiness and resilience.
Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you first became a city manager?
Never be linear in your thinking — remember, I am an engineer by training. The importance of not rushing to a decision so as to be sure all stakeholders are heard.
What advice would you give to someone entering the city management profession today?
Don’t take yourself too seriously, never forget that you are a public servant and measure your actions by how they will make the organization and the community better. Finally, hard decisions normally don’t get better or easier if you procrastinate addressing them.
What are some accomplishments from retirement you’re most proud of?
Watching the staff I left behind grow into extraordinary public servants as senior staff and city managers in Monterey and city managers and department heads in other cities. Since retirement, I have continued to volunteer and consult in the public policy and national security realms. I am particularly proud of being able to work with city managers across the state to help them identify threats to their city’s ability to be prepared and resilient in the face of threats from Mother Nature and potential man-made threats.
