12 People You Need to Know: David Cameron

Q&A | July 15

Why You Need to Know David: Springfield’s 14th city manager, David Cameron brings a regional voice and a self-described disruptive edge to the municipality that has a half-billion-dollar budget and serves some 170,000 residents.
Position: City manager, city of Springfield,
effective July 7
Age: 52
Education: Bachelor’s in nonprofit, public and organizational management, John Brown University, and associate’s in water and wastewater treatment, Crowder College
Career: City administrator, Republic; city administrator, public works director and wastewater plant superintendent, Siloam Springs, Arkansas; and operator in charge, Weldon Springs Site Remedial Action Project

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Following a narrow confirmation vote by Springfield City Council, newly appointed City Manager David Cameron says his early priorities include building trust among stakeholders and removing obstacles that keep city staff from effectively serving the community.

Cameron, who spoke June 12 after a personal retreat in between roles, officially starts July 7 after serving as Republic’s city administrator since July 2016. First up, he’s planning a listening tour among Springfield city staff.

“That is the greatest resource and asset the city has,” Cameron says of its 1,900-plus employees. “I may not know certain things. What makes it stellar, what makes it interesting to me, is there are people here that are already aware of those issues. I believe they have ideas to help themselves, as well, but have they been heard?”

What that might look like is improved city processes and less red tape, Cameron says, but he’s hesitant to name specific initiatives before those conversations have gotten underway.

“Listening is an important piece,” he says. “I want to get out and really collaborate. Then, I’ll formulate what goals would look like.”

Cameron, who calls his leadership style disruptive, says he aims to toss out government practices that have long passed their best-before date.

“Change has outpaced the pace of bureaucracy,” he says. “You’re disrupting an old process that’s no longer useful.”

Cameron’s career in local government began on the front lines, in a role that he says shaped how he understands the work of a municipality.

“I was an employee first. I worked in wastewater,” he says.

As far as interacting with the community, Cameron says he’s already met with Becky Volz, chair of the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Council, in what he says is an early effort to get in front of neighborhood associations amid ongoing mistrust between residents and developers in the city. Visibility from his office is key, he says.

“You cannot do that in an office in this building,” Cameron says, referring to the Busch Municipal Building where city offices are located. “I just want to be sure that I’m visible, that people hear from me, but also that there’s a sense of synergy. I’ve got work to do.”

In Republic, Cameron is credited with leading a municipality that delivered $1.4 billion in capital investments and created 3,000 new jobs during his tenure, perhaps most notably highlighted by the city’s facilitation of a 1.3 million-square-foot Amazon distribution and fulfillment center. When he was city administrator in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Cameron successfully negotiated the sale of a city-owned hospital, resulting in a $10.6 million benefit to the community.

Those previous leadership roles, Cameron says, taught him to think regionally, and he intends to bring the same approach to Springfield.

“I want to be part of a regional collaboration of connecting the other communities into what’s going on,” he says. “What success would look like to me is momentum is continuing to build.”