City of Dallas Executive Appointments

The following quote can be attributed to City Manager A.C. Gonzalez:

 

“I am pleased to announce some top level staff changes at City Hall. These moves are part of my overall plan to innovate from the top down and re-energize from the bottom up.

 

As result of a national search process, I have hired two seasoned Assistant City Managers, Eric Campbell, currently serving as Assistant City Manager in Charlotte, North Carolina and Mark McDaniel, currently serving as City Manager in Tyler, Texas. Both are certified city managers by the International City Manager’s Association (ICMA). They bring excellent experience in public safety, performance management and measurement, and culture change. They also have strong national networks in the industry, which will give us access to more great talent moving forward and help us grow our relationships with other cities so we can share best practices.”

 

A.C. Gonzalez

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City Manager A.C. Gonzalez announced the following changes to the City of Dallas Executive Staff.

 

City Manager’s Office

 

Ryan S. Evans – First Assistant City Manager

Ryan Evans has served the citizens of Dallas for the past 29 years, most recently as Interim First Assistant City Manager over the Dallas Police Department and the Office of Economic Development. Mr. Evans began his career as a Budget Analyst in the City’s Budget Office and went on to become the department’s director. Mr. Evans was then named the City’s Development Officer and held this position for three years before being promoted to Assistant City Manager, where he has served for the past 18 years.

 

As First Assistant City Manager, Evans will oversee Economic Development, Sustainable Development and Construction, Convention and Event Services, and Aviation.

 

Eric D. Campbell – Assistant City Manager 

Eric Campbell is a 26 year veteran of the public service profession, serving as a Deputy/Assistant City Manager for the last 13 years, most recently with the City of Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Mr. Campbell joined the City of Charlotte in April, 2008, where he serves as one of three Assistant City Managers. During his tenure, he has provided administrative oversight for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police; Charlotte Fire Department; Shared Services (Procurement, Technology Management, and Fleet); Corporate Communications; Engineering and Property Management; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities; Storm Water Services; and the Community Relations Committee. In addition to his administrative oversight of departments, Mr. Campbell serves as the staff resource for the City Council’s Community Safety Committee as well as chairman of the City Manager appointed Shared Services Governance Committee and the Executive Management Risk/Loss Task Force. Lastly, he is Co-Chair of an interdepartmental/interagency committee known as the Community Cabinet.

 

Mr. Campbell was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Graduate Fellowship and received his master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He holds an advanced certificate in Public Policy Analysis from Old Dominion University. An advocate for professional development and continuous learning, he is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute – Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and is a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

 

Campbell will be joining the City of Dallas on September 29^th and will oversee Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Courts and Detention Services, and the Office of Emergency Management. 

 

Mark McDaniel – Assistant City Manager 

Mark McDaniel’s 28 years of experience in municipal government management spans five separate Texas cities with an emphasis in finance, organizational development, performance improvement, administration, and economic development. McDaniel served first as Deputy City Manager and then City Manager for Tyler, Texas since 2004.

 

Mr. McDaniel currently serves as Vice President for ICMA, representing the central United States. In 2010, he was named City Administrator of the Year by the Texas City Management Association. He is also a member of The Alliance for Innovation, Local Government Research Collaborative, American Society for Quality, American Society for Public Administration and “Game Changers,” an informal roundtable of city managers who routinely share best practices borrowed from the private sector.

 

In his most recent role as City Manager for the City of Tyler, McDaniel has been the architect for culture change via the City’s highly successful Performance Excellence Program (PEP). PEP includes the most extensive use of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodologies for eliminating waste and gaining efficiencies among all cities in the U.S. In 2014, Tyler’s continuous improvement efforts led to the achievement of the Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE) – Progress Level, bestowed by the Quality Texas Foundation. Tyler is now only the second city in Texas to receive this distinction. TAPE is a prerequisite for the Malcolm Baldrige national Quality Award that recognizes U.S. organizations in private and public sectors for performance excellence.

 

Among his other accomplishments as City Manager for Tyler, McDaniel was instrumental in the City earning an AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s in 2010. In 2011, Tyler was the first city to earn the Leadership Award–Gold Level for transparency in government from the Texas Comptroller. The following year, Tyler was named Community of the Year by the American Planning Association-Texas Chapter for its highly successful community visioning/comprehensive planning efforts.

 

Mr. McDaniel holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas, and he has completed the Senior Executive in Local Government Program at Harvard University.

 

McDaniel will start with the City on September 2^nd and will oversee Streets Services, Sanitation Services, Dallas Water Utilities, and Equipment and Building Services. 

 

Once new Assistant City Managers join the staff, responsibilities for some current executive staff members will shift:

 

Forest E. Turner – Chief Wellness Officer

Forest Turner will serve at an Assistant City Manager level as the City’s Chief Wellness Officer. Mr. Turner will be working to implement a citywide wellness initiative similar to the one he developed for the Department of Street Services. Dallas has a high incidence of employees who are overweight or obese. The co-morbidities associated with excess weight (diabetes, heart disease, and muscular-skeletal problems) are significant and projections for future health-care costs to address these conditions are frightening. Improving employee health will not only help mitigate future health care cost increases, it will also improve the quality of life for our employees. Mr. Turner will look at nationwide best practices to implement at the City to move toward a healthier employee population.

 

Charles M. Cato – First Assistant Chief of Police

Chief Cato will return to his position as the First Assistant Chief of Police. Chief Cato was asked to serve as an Assistant City Manager for one year in order to provide the executive leadership team with first-hand knowledge of operational issues in the delivery of public safety services; and, to take back to the Police Department a broader knowledge of the City’s operations in order to help the Department as it looks for ways to partner with other City Departments. Chief Cato will continue to lead the City’s efforts relating to Transportation-for-Hire until a sensible transition of that issue can be made.

 

Department of Planning and Neighborhood Vitality

 

In order to take more proactive steps toward building a 21st Century Dallas, Mr. Gonzalez announced the creation of a new department that will begin the process of consolidating a number of design and planning activities. The City Manager’s proposed budget will include the creation of a new Department of Planning & Neighborhood Vitality as the first phase of this consolidation. This department will include the following current functions: Strategic Planning, Housing Planning, Service Area Coordination, Transportation Planning, and the Dallas City Design Studio. Mr. Gonzalez will also undertake a detailed review and analysis of all design, planning, and development management functions across the organization to provide additional insight for improving effectiveness and innovation within our city shaping activities. The objective of this consolidation is to ensure that the City leads the cutting edge of planning and urban design in a 21st Century market, focuses on supporting vibrant neighborhoods, and aligns a number of City functions to create a more livable Dallas.

 

Theresa O’Donnell – Chief Planning Officer

Theresa O’Donnell will become our new Chief Planning Officer for a newly created Department of Planning and Neighborhood Vitality. Theresa’s experience and knowledge of planning and development will be an asset for this initiative. Ms. O’Donnell has served with the City of Dallas for the past 11 years, most recently as Interim Assistant City Manager over Sustainable Development & Construction, Housing & Community Services, Aviation, and the Office of Fair Housing. Prior to her service as Interim Assistant City Manager, Ms. O’Donnell was the Director of Sustainable Development and Construction. During the development of the Housing Plus plan, the Department of Housing and the Office of Fair Housing will continue to report to Ms. O’Donnell.

 

In addition to these changes, the following executive appointments are being made:

 

City Controller’s Office 

 

Jimmy Martin – Assistant Director, City Controller’s Office

Jimmy Martin is being reassigned to the City Controller’s Office. Prior to his service with Code Compliance, Mr. Martin worked in the Auditor's office since the beginning of his City tenure in 1988. He performed audits on a wide variety of City operations including: Code Compliance's multi-tenant operations, the DPD Auto Pound, and Homestead exemptions administered by the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Mr. Martin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. His experience as an auditor was an asset to the Department of Code Compliance and these skills will be beneficial to the City Controller’s Office as well.

 

Code Compliance Services

 

Kris Sweckard – Director, Code Compliance Services

Kris Sweckard is being appointed as Director of Code Compliance Service. Mr. Sweckard has served the City of Dallas since 2004, most recently as part of the executive management team in Courts and Detention Services where he oversaw the implementation of new technology, court processes and programs, courthouse renovations, and customer service improvements. Prior to his work in Courts, Mr. Sweckard has served as the Interim Director of Library Services, the Director of Environmental Quality, and the Director of the Efficiency Team.

 

Prior to joining the City of Dallas, Sweckard was in management consulting in the private sector with Price Waterhouse, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and IBM. During his ten years in consulting, he rose from being a staff consultant to a senior manager working on projects for clients, including international Fortune 500 companies, focusing on process improvements and change management.

 

Equipment and Building Services 

 

Rosa Fleming – Assistant Director, Equipment and Building Services

Rosa Fleming is being appointed as an Assistant Director in Equipment and Building Services. Ms. Fleming began her career at the City in 2009 when she was hired as a Grant Manager to write, submit, and manage grants received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Most recently, Ms. Fleming has served as Fund Development Manager over the Intergovernmental Services - Fund Development Unit where she was charged with the supervision of competitive grant and contract processes for the City. Ms. Fleming holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Political Science from Southern Methodist University, as well as a Master of Liberal Arts from the same institution.

 

Housing & Community Services

 

C. Donald Babers – Housing Transformation Czar

Mr. Babers is being hired as the Housing Transformation Czar for Housing & Community Services. Babers joins the City after an accomplished 43-year career with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During his time with HUD, Mr. Babers served as the Regional Administrator, Deputy Regional Administrator, and Dallas Field Office Director. Mr. Babers brings with him an extensive background in compliance and implementation of federal housing programs and policies, HUD funding processes, as well as community development and Fair Housing laws.

 

As the Housing Transformation Czar, Mr. Babers will assist in the development and implementation of the Housing Plus Plan where he will work closely with the newly created Planning and Neighborhood Vitality department and Housing and Community Services. During his time at the City, he will help guide the Housing & Community Services Department as it becomes more transparent, holistic in its strategies, and effective in creating housing opportunities consistent with Fair Housing standards.

 

Public Information Office

 

Sana Syed – Public Information Officer

Sana Syed is being appointed to serve as the City’s new Public Information Officer. Ms. Syed served as the PIO/Managing Editor for the City of Arlington, where she managed media relations, marketing, video production, graphic arts production, and the community news site. She started her career as a broadcast journalist and over a period of ten years held positions as assignment editor, producer, reporter, and news anchor. Sana has worked at KDFW and KTVT in Dallas, KOKH in Oklahoma City, OK and WBRZ in Baton Rouge, LA.

 

Ms. Syed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Science in Journalism from the TCU Schieffer School of Journalism. Sana is completing her PhD in Urban Planning and Public Policy at UTA.

 

Syed will start with the City on August 20^th.

 

Sanitation Services Department

 

Liza Bustamante – Assistant Director, Sanitation Services

Liza Bustamante is being appointed as Assistant Director of Sanitation. For the past year, Ms. Bustamante has served as an Interim Assistant Director in the Department of Street Services. Prior to this role, she was a Senior Environmental Coordinator for Equipment & Building Services, as well as a Senior Environmental Coordinator for the Office of Environmental Quality. Ms. Bustamante began her career with the City of Dallas in 2004, and during her tenure has assisted in variety of process improvements projects such as EBS Paint & Body Shop turnaround time and Parts Room Response Time as well as implementation of ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems in many of the City’s departments. Ms. Bustamante holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from St. Mary’s University and a master’s degree in Environmental Science from University of Texas at San Antonio.

 

Street Services Department

 

Dennis Ware – Director, Street Services

Dennis Ware is being appointed as Director of Street Services. Mr. Ware has served in a variety of positions with the City since he began his tenure in 1995. Most notably, Mr. Ware has served as Economic Development Manager for the Small Business Initiative, and Assistant Director in Street Services. In his most recent position as Assistant Director, he established a centralized fleet operation program to enhance Street staff productivity and developed customer service platforms to foster proactive communication with citizens. He has also previously served as an urban planner and management assistant with the City of Dallas. Mr. Ware holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Southern University and a Class IV Graduate Finance Certificate from Southern Methodist University Edwin L. Cox School of Business. 

 

Jerry Ortega – Assistant Director, Street Services

Jerry Ortega is being appointed to an Assistant Director position in Street Services. Mr. Ortega brings to the City of Dallas’ Street Services Department extensive public works experience from several cities. Most recently, Mr. Ortega served as the Director of Public Works for the City of Richardson, Texas where he oversaw 200 employees and a total $56M budget. Prior to Richardson, he was the Public Works Director in the City of McAllen Texas and in small cities in Oregon. Mr. Ortega has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Communications and Leadership and a Master’s of Business Administration from Concordia University.

 

Ortega will be joining the City on September 2^nd.

 

Sustainable Development & Construction

 

David Cossum – Director, Sustainable Development & Construction

David Cossum is being appointed as Director of Sustainable Development & Construction where he most recently served as Interim Director. While in this role, he oversaw the operations of comprehensive planning, zoning, platting, building inspection and permitting, engineering, and real estate services. Mr. Cossum has previously held the position of Assistant Director and Planning Manager for the City. Prior to his service with the City of Dallas, Mr. Cossum served as the Zoning and Subdivision Administrator for the City of Grand Prairie. Cossom holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s in City and Regional Planning from University of Texas Arlington.

 

Ashley Eubanks – Assistant Director, Sustainable Development & Construction

Ashley Eubanks is being appointed as an Assistant Director in the Sustainable Development and Construction Department. Ms. Eubanks has worked for the City for 13 years. She started her career with the City in 1998 as a Senior Real Estate Specialist before leaving for a short period of time in 2000. She returned to the City in 2003; and, in 2007 she was promoted to the position of Real Estate Manager tasked with overseeing abandonments, licenses, leases, and the sale of tax foreclosure and surplus properties. Most recently, she served as the Interim Assistant Director over the Real Estate division after the previous Assistant Director’s retirement. Eubanks holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus in Real Estate from the University of North Texas in Denton and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M Commerce.