School of Public Policy Welcomes 2017 City Manager in Residence Frank Benest

The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at the School of Public Policy welcomes Dr. Frank Benest as the 2017 City Manager in Residence. Bestest is a former city manager of Palo Alto, California, and is a noted consultant and trainer on collaborative service delivery, entrepreneurial government, civic engagement, leadership development, and succession planning. Benest will be discussing his career in local leadership and offering insight and advice to students interested in a career in local government on Monday, February 27, 2017, at noon, in SPP 171. Lunch will be served. 

Prior to his appointment in Palo Alto, Benest served as city manager in Brea and Colton, California. He has a doctorate in management from Brigham Young University; a MPA from California State University, Long Beach; and a BA degree from Yale University. Benest is a credentialed International City/County Management Association (ICMA) manager and serves as the senior advisor to ICMA on Next Generation Initiatives, and also chairs the ICMA Coaching Program.

Benest is past president of the California City Managers Department and past vice president of ICMA. He teaches at Stanford University and has been inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration. In 2011, Benest was recognized by ICMA with its Distinguished Career Service Award.

Each year the Davenport Institute and the School of Public Policy introduce a new California city manager as the City Manager in Residence. The program was introduced in 2011, as part of a collaborative effort developed by the California International City Manager Association (Cal-ICMA) to offer students in graduate public policy and public administration programs the opportunity to learn first-hand from some of the best city managers in California. The city managers in residence share their experiences with the school's Master of Public Policy candidates over a course of two days on the Malibu campus. In addition to a formal lecture, they serve as a mentor to students specializing in state and local policy, offering career advice and answering questions; address classes in the state and local policy track; and meet with members of the school's student chapter of the International City/County Manager's Association (ICMA). See past City Managers in Residence.