Renne Public Management Group (RPMG), a division of Renne Public Law Group, welcomes Dan Rich, former city manager for the cities of Mountain View and Campbell. As one of RPMG’s growing cadre of consultants and strategic advisors, Dan will help cities, counties, special districts and nonprofits improve their effectiveness and achieve greater impact.
“Working with Renne Public Management Group’s smart, dedicated and experienced professionals to support excellence in local government is exciting for me,” said Dan. “I have enjoyed my career tremendously and embrace this new avenue for continuing my engagement with municipal agencies.”
An experienced senior public sector executive, Dan’s areas of expertise include strategic planning and partnerships, negotiation, policy analysis, financial planning, land use, Council relations, personnel and organizational development.
During his eight-year tenure as city manager for the City of Mountain View, Dan oversaw 600 full-time employees and a $138 million general operating budget. His negotiation of complex land-use agreements and unique partnerships with private and public-sector organizations yielded increased housing capacity and the creation of master plans for transportation, parks and open spaces; in an innovative agreement with the Mountain View Whisman School District and a developer, the city facilitated affordable housing exclusively for teachers and district staff. He also led strategies for paying down the agency’s unfunded liabilities, managed a successful revenue measure process and enhanced information technology, transportation, sustainability, communications and employee wellness and engagement programs.
“While I am proud of working on many complex land use issues, such as lease agreements and numerous partnerships with the local school districts,” said Dan, “I am probably most proud of my work internal to city hall with diverse Councilmembers and shifting the culture and focus on employee well-being.”
Dan initiated a wellness program and Mountain View municipal employees actively participate in many programs that support mental wellness and encourage healthy living, including Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties, for which the community received four gold medals and one silver medal.
Prior to joining Mountain View in 2011, Dan served as city manager for the City of Campbell, assistant city manager for the City of Belmont and assistant to the city manager for the City of Sunnyvale. He began his career in public service as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Alan Cranston.
A part-time lecturer and local government advisor for the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University, Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
“Over more than 30 years of public service, Dan has worked directly with 27 different mayors and dozens of councilmembers, as well as hundreds of staff and community stakeholders,” said Executive Director Nelson Fialho. “His broad-based experience and interpersonal skills enable him to communicate with and support a diverse range of individuals, see situations clearly, ask the right questions and effectively share his knowledge with others.”
RPMG has a proven track record of success assisting clients with strategic planning, executive onboarding, performance evaluations, conflict resolution and facilitation, fiscal and operational analysis, complex project management, negotiations and organizational assessments.