How can I help?
I have had a fantastic career, working at the highest levels of city government, leading a chamber of commerce, serving as an executive in for profit businesses and helping many organizations and individuals gain success. I am constantly looking for what is next, and trying to figure out how that may help or hurt organizations and communities. The consulting firm City Hall Solutions channels my unique passion for organizational excellence, community development and trend forecasting to give government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits that extra edge they need in today’s rapidly evolving environment. I’d like to know what your issues are and how I can help you succeed.
Gen X and Inquisitive
I’m a different kind of consultant. Sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials, I learned coding in high school and always worked with computers, but I also learned about face time, building relationships and plain old hard work. I can help your company transition through these changing times. As you will see in this post, my background and experience are diverse. I have twenty years of managerial experience in public and private organizations, and will use this rich background to help you overcome challenges and seize opportunities.
I have always been curious about how communities develop.
I lived through the Dallas savings and loan scandal and real estate crisis while attending college and working for a commercial real estate firm.
In business school I wrote a thesis on the hotel industry in Phoenix, Arizona, because I was curious about how so many large resorts could be successful in one city.
My PhD dissertation took an even closer look at development, when I studied the social, environmental and economic impacts of tourism development in Belize, Central America.
A Calling for “Community”
It was no surprise that I followed up my PhD with a position focused on international trade and economic development at a Texas chamber of commerce. I was then hired by a developer to market a new industrial park in region, and spent several years working for a commercial real estate firm, eventually becoming Vice President.
While I learned a tremendous amount working at for profit corporations, I missed the community development aspect of working to improve communities. So I moved to southern California to become President/CEO of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. It was wonderful being able to support a business community with exciting tech and entertainment industries, a strong tourism sector and also more typical Main Street type businesses. I worked on projects as diverse as a light rail line extension to Santa Monica, job training at the high school and community college level and addressing homelessness in the region. While at the chamber I resolved the chamber’s financial issues, made the organization more relevant to its members and had the opportunity to build an absolutely outstanding team of employees.
Going Government
My first public sector job was as planning and economic development director for the City of El Paso, Texas. The city had many opportunities, such as a renewed interest in downtown, the opening of a new medical school and a strong university-city-private sector partnership that worked with emerging technology companies. We focused on innovation and results, and it paid off with over $200 million in new investment downtown, a $250 million Department of Labor grant for workforce training, new software to help businesses access an $8 billion market and other successes. We also streamlined the city processes for businesses and created an optional Smart Code for the city. Most importantly, I again had the opportunity to build a great team that was able to bring success to the city and county.
As Carlsbad’s economic development manager, I quickly created and implemented an economic development program focused on growing businesses in the already strong life sciences, information technology and action sports industries. We created an economic development brand that was used by our companies to attract talent, opened a life sciences incubator on city owned property, worked with universities interested in expanding in Carlsbad and helped Mira Costa Community College open a Technology Career Institute in another city owned building. We helped businesses network so they could grow, again streamlined city processes, and found creative ways for businesses to expand in the community.
Leading the City
My success in economic development, and then as community and economic development director led to a promotion to the city manager’s office, where I spent time overseeing every department in the city. I enjoyed my role as a change-maker and red tape cutter. I was able to bring success to the organization, with projects as small as implementing a training program that improved procurement to completing the city’s general plan, a large project that was behind schedule. This plan ushered in a new way of thinking about mobility and had a best-in-class Climate Action Plan.
I also had to deal with challenges at the city. My time in the city manager’s office included an initiative and referendum on a development project that put Carlsbad at the center of a debate about land use planning. After a devastating wildfire I chaired the Poinsettia Fire Recovery Team, which helped restore infrastructure and sensitive habitat and worked with residents and business owners to rebuild. This all took place during a time when the city had five city manager changes in five years. Helping to build trust with the city council through greater transparency, innovative thinking and a focus on results was a big part of the job.
Bringing It Home – for You
This experience cemented a love of helping organizations, especially, city governments, thrive in the midst of change. Cities need to be looking into the future and planning for what is next. The world is changing quickly:
City face record retirment rates and a loss of institutional knowledge, while also struggling to attract and retain younger employees. We can change that.
Technology is evolving faster than skills are changing. Let’s find effective and affordable solutions.
An increasing, often unfunded, regulatory burden, an aging infrastructure, pension obligations and other issues are starting to dominate city budgets. New thinking about city budgeting is critical.
Citizens are now armed with new technology and great expectations. Let’s meet those expectations. No, let’s exceed them.
As the principal of City Hall Solutions I delve into the challenges you face today (and future ones you might not even know about) combining a background in economic and community development and organizational performance. I want to help you take advantage of opportunities and avoid unnecessary risks. You won’t find anyone else with my diversity of skills and passion for building successful communities. Delivering results in a changing world by helping you make your community successful is my goal, and the mission of City Hall Solutions.
