Item 4I Memo111AME1
CITY OF
SOUTH LADE
•
June 9, 2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Shana K. Yelverton, City Manager
SUBJECT: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of
Daniel Cortez as the Director of Economic Development and
Tourism.
Action
Requested: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of
Daniel Cortez as Director of Economic Development and Tourism for
the City of Southlake.
Background
Information: Chapter 4 of the Southlake Charter requires that "The head of each
department shall be a chief, director, or superintendent who shall be
appointed by the City Manager subject to the approval of the Council
and such chief, director or superintendent shall have supervisory
authority and financial control over his/her department."
Since December 2016, Assistant City Manager Alison Ortowski has
played a dual role for the City of Southlake, serving as both Assistant
City Manager and Director of Economic Development and Tourism.
In January 2017, Daniel Cortez was promoted to Deputy Director of
Economic Development and Tourism to oversee some of the day-to-
day operations related to business retention and its numerous
programs, while Ms. Orlowski provided strategic leadership for the
department.
With his promotion to Deputy Director in 2017, he has advanced the
City's economic development efforts by ensuring that assigned
recommendations in the Southlake 2035 Economic Development
Comprehensive Plan have been implemented on schedule. Just a
few of these key accomplishments are noted below:
• Creation and implementation of the commercial site
assessment project which has enhanced our future -
readiness;
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
June 9, 2020
Page 2
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• Completion of the City's first Business Climate Survey, which
has provided valuable insight into the Southlake business
community;
• Advancement of the City's business retention efforts
significantly establishing strong relationships with the
Southlake business community through the Southlake
Business Engagement Program and the creation of Southlake
Business Buddies;
• Creation and administration of the Southlake Kids Interested
in Leadership (SKIL) program to engage Southlake's youth in
the various aspects of the City, our operations and leadership
lessons; and
• Leadership of the City's efforts to provide relevant, timely
communication, resources, and support to the business
community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Cortez has been employed by the City of Southlake since
October 7, 2008 and has served in the roles of Planner 1, Planner 11,
Principal Planner, Assistant to the City Manager, and most recently,
Deputy Director of Economic Development and Tourism. Mr. Cortez
has a Master of Business Administration from the University of North
Texas at Dallas and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from California
State University. He is a Certified Planner from the American Institute
of Certified Planner and received the 2019 Chairman's Director of
the Year award from the Southlake Chamber of Commerce.
As the Director of Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Cortez
will assume full management and leadership responsibility for the
Department of Economic Development and Tourism and its
programs, with the exception of managing incentive requests which
will remain a responsibility of CFO Sharen Jackson and Assistant
City Manager Alison Ortowski. In addition, he will also serve as the
liaison with the City's utility providers.
Mr. Cortez's appointment provides for management continuity and
stability for the organization and provides no negative budgetary
impact. The Deputy Director of Economic Development and Tourism
position will be eliminated with the promotion of Mr. Cortez to
Director.
With your ratification, Mr. Cortez's appointment will be effective on
July 1, 2020.
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council ITEM 41
June 9, 2020
Page 3
Financial
Considerations: An offer of promotion has been extended to Mr. Cortez with a
monthly salary of $9,601.67 plus the standard executive benefits
package.
Strategic Link: Performance Management and Service Delivery: Attract, develop,
and retain a skilled workforce.
Citizen Input/
Board Review: NIA
Legal Review: N/A
Alternatives: NIA
Supporting
Documents: Mr. Cortez's Resume
Staff
Recommendation: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of
Daniel Cortez as Director of Economic Development and Tourism.