Dave Harris

Dave Harris is a seasoned veteran as both a local government executive and as a senior consultant. For 26 years he has been a municipal administrator in Northern California, having served as a City Manager of Dixon for nearly twenty years and as Assistant City Manager of Fairfield for six years. Since 1998 he has been a senior consultant / executive recruiter in the Western States for two California-based recruiting firms.

As a city manager Dave oversaw the day-to-day operations of a full-service community that provided police and fire protection, along with public works, recreation, muni transit and other services. He has been the recipient of an Award For Local Government Innovation from the International City/County Management Association (I.C.M.A.). Dave also authored articles that appeared in state and national trade journals and has been a guest speaker at numerous functions. He served as a hospital board member for a total of 13 years, thus increasing his understanding of organizational needs, dynamics and resources.

During his years as a recruiter/local government consultant, Dave has become familiar with the operations, organizational culture and economic drivers of many public entities in the Western States. He has worked with mayors and city councils, as well as other local government officials and community leaders in the recruitment of city managers, police chiefs, city attorneys and other municipal officers. These services have been rendered to nearly one hundred entities, large and small and have included many city manager recruitments. In conducting approximately 150 recruitments, Dave’s clients have included, among others: the California cities of Los Angeles, Sacramento, Riverside, Long Beach, Vacaville, Napa, San Mateo and Davis, plus Reno, Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada as well as Ketchum, Idaho and the cities of Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Surprise and Chandler in Arizona. He has also provided services for numerous county governments in multiple states.

Dave earned a B.S. degree and a Master of Public Administration degree at Brigham Young University before launching his municipal government and consulting career. He is a believer in lifelong learning and greatly enjoys engaging client stakeholders in the process of helping them select key personnel.