Item 9B - MemoITEM 9B
ICITY OF
SOUTHLAKE
MEMORANDUM
September 26, 2023
TO: Shana Yelverton, City Manager
FROM: Stacey Black, Senior Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of
David Miller as the Director of Community Services.
Action
Requested: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of David
Miller as Director of Community Services 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."
Mr. Miller has over fifteen years of experience in non-profit and
municipal executive leadership. He joined the City of Southlake in
2021 as the Deputy Director of Community Services. Before
becoming part of the City of Southlake team, Mr. Miller held
progressively responsible positions at the YMCA, where he served
as Vice President of Membership and Marketing, Director of
Strategic Initiatives, and Member Engagement Director. His
academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies
focusing on Business, Volunteer Management, and Communications
from the University of North Texas. He also holds a Masters in
Theological Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
During his time with the City, Mr. Miller has positively impacted the
department's operations and management. He has effectively
overseen essential aspects of Community Services, including The
Marq, recreation programming, aquatics, marketing, community
relations, nature center, tennis center, and more. Notably, he was
responsible for overseeing the creation of The Marq capital asset
program, implementing the matrix team concept within the
department, and leading the SH 114 Urban Design Master Plan
September 26, 2023 ITEM 913
Page 2
development project. In addition, he has served as a productive
member of the executive leadership team in a deputy role, receiving
the City of Southlake Deputy Director of the Year Award in 2022.
As the Director of Community Services, Mr. Miller will assume full
leadership and management responsibilities for the Community
Services department. He will provide guidance and oversight for all
department activities, including administration, parks and citywide
beautification, recreation and outdoor experiences, hospitality and
sales, and community relations.
Mr. Miller's appointment will ensure continuity and stability within the
organization's management structure. His appointment carries no
negative budgetary implications and aligns with the City's
commitment to excellence in delivering world -class experiences to a
world -class community.
With your ratification, Mr. Miller's appointment will be effective on
October 4, 2023.
Financial
Considerations: City Manager Yelverton has extended an offer of promotion to Mr.
Miller. There is no negative budget impact.
Strategic Link: Performance Management and Service Delivery: Attract, develop,
and retain a skilled workforce.
Citizen Input/
Board Review: N/A
Legal Review: N/A
Alternatives: N/A
Supporting
Documents: Mr. Miller's Resume
Staff
Recommendation: City Council confirmation of the City Manager's appointment of David
Miller as Director of Community Services.
DAVID MILLER
A proven strategic leader with over 15 years of experience in non-profit and municipal executive leadership. A
true passion for service and team development displayed by building authentic relationships and developing
leaders capable of executing strategy and delivering a prominent level of service. Vision caster who thrives
under pressure and is consistently seeking to grow and develop through new challenges.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES
Accountability — Customer Service — Fiscal Resource Management — Results Oriented
Strategic Thinking — Creative Thinking/Innovation — Organizational Effectiveness
Relationship Building — Coaching and Team Development — Collaborative Leadership
Transparency — Responsibility — Authenticity
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
City of Southlake January 2021 to Present
Deputy Director, Community Services
• Serve as the "Chief Operations Officer" of the department by overseeing operations including the
Marq Southlake, recreation programming, aquatics, marketing, community relations, nature center,
tennis center, pickleball complex and more.
• Support the priorities of the City Council and appointed boards and commissions.
• Provide support to the City Manager's office, executive leadership team and deputy directors through
a spirit of teamwork, collaboration, service, and participation in city-wide initiatives.
• Contribute to city-wide matrix teams, including Governance and EVP by providing guidance and
input to employee well-being, engagement surveys and employee appreciation programs.
• Actively participate as a member of the emergency operations team responsible for logistics and
sheltering for residents in case of emergency.
• Oversee development of department budget in areas of oversight, including a 71% cost recovery goal
and CEDC revenue target of 4.5 million annually.
• Promote alignment with city strategy and values by leading department culture initiatives, including
creating departmental matrix teams to create consistencies in safety, training, customer service, and
innovation.
• Provide direct leadership and guidance to three department managers and up to 200 additional
full-time and part-time staff.
• Prioritize a world -class level of customer service through close monitoring of NPS, citizen survey and
other feedback with a focus on follow-up, responsiveness, innovation, and process improvement.
0 Model and hold staff accountable to alignment with city mission and values.
Projects:
Marq Capital Asset Plan: Oversaw the creation of the Marq capital asset plan that is a proactive 20-
year replacement strategy for all capital assets in the Marq. This collaborative process involved multiple
city departments and resulted in a strong, award -winning plan that will help the Community Services
Department maintain a prominent level of service delivery by proactively saving funds to invest back into
the facility.
Matrix Teams: Worked with department leaders to create, implement and develop four strategic
matrix teams designed to align with city strategy and values while also providing employees the
opportunity to actively participate in departmental change initiatives.
SH 114 Urban Design Master Plan: Worked with design partner Kimley Horn to develop a
conceptual master plan for green ribbon and city -funded improvements within the 114 corridor. This
collaborative effort included clear communication with the Public Works and City Manager's Office and
resulted in a Council decision to implement green ribbon concepts at four intersections along 114.
Special Contributions:
Governance Work: Active member of the project team that created an enhanced ethics strategy for city
staff and elected officials. Duties included the work on the ethics pledge and program implementation.
Business Planning Process: Promoted creating and implementing a new business plan strategy for
the department that aligned with the city's corporate priorities, told the department story, and helped
provide a framework for effectively implementing departmental goals and strategy.
Deputy Director Collaboration: Worked with the deputy directors to create a collaboration strategy
that includes monthly lunches and challenge network touchpoints. This strategy has resulted in better
teamwork and collaboration between departments.
Pickleball Complex Opening: Developed a comprehensive plan for a successful opening and launch
of programming at the Southlake Pickleball Complex. This plan involves multiple City departments and
will continue to evolve as the grand opening of the complex draws near.
Awards:
Marq Capital Asset Replacement Plan: This plan received a TRAPS regional award for excellence in
maintenance programming.
Deputy Director of the Year 2022: This is a peer -elected annual award.
Arlington —Mansfield Area YMCA
Vice -President, Membership and Marketing
June 2014 to May 2020
• Oversaw all association marketing efforts, including planning and management of monthly
membership and program growth campaigns.
• Oversaw all graphic design and marketing projects and planned monthly social media calendar
for use by all branches.
• Oversaw all internal and external communication and public relations messaging. This included
the communication strategy surrounding a 3-month COVID-19 shutdown.
• Successful communication strategies during COVID-19 shutdown resulted in only a 12%
cancellation of overall membership base while still taking monthly drafts.
• Member of the Executive Leadership Team that set strategy and vision for the association.
• Coordinated with regional and national partners to ensure YMCA messaging was consistent in all
areas of service to the local community.
• Advised C-Suite leaders on all aspects of membership and marketing related to the association,
including hiring, strategic planning, and growth strategies.
• Oversaw the Membership Department for the YMCA Association. This included the planning and
implementation of policies geared towards member acquisition, recruitment, and retention.
• Advised Branch Membership Directors in the development of policies and procedures to achieve
their short and long-term goals.
• Led project taskforce teams in the development of the following: Membership Referral Program,
Corporate Membership Program, and Financial Assistance Program.
• Produced association daily and month -end dashboards related to membership growth, loss, and
retention and all other key data trends.
Special Projects:
Community Needs Assessment: Planned, implemented, and directed a community -wide needs
assessment comprised of focus groups, town hall meetings, one-on-one interviews, and online surveys. The
results of this assessment were used to build our 3-year strategic plan that is currently underway.
Membership Business Model: Benchmarked YMCA membership departments across the country to
develop a new business model focused on staffing structures andpolicies/procedures and a realignment of
our organizational structure.
New Building Design: Helped coordinate the design and launch of a new YMCA Branch. Duties included
IT coordination, lobby and AV design, traffic flow, and staff onboarding/training.
IT Restructure: Coordinated the restructuring of IT services to all locations including VOIP, data center
transfer, network reconstruction, and remote support.
Software Implementation: Coordinated all new software implementations. Worked with service
vendors and all relevant YMCA departments to ensure acquisition, training, launches and maintenance of
all new software programs were successful. This included ongoing training and staff development for all
new and current staff. Software programs included: Daxko Operations, Daxko Engage, Outlook, HUD,
Daxko Mobile, Daxko Payment Services, and more.
Website Redesign: Worked in an interim role within the marketing department to develop a brand-new
website that met our strategic needs. Work on this project included site planning, content development, page
building, testing, and launching the site.
Other Duties:
Work with Branch Membership Directors to ensure hiring practices fit within the guidelines of the overall
business model. Participated in hiring teams for Branch Directors and Executive Directors, and C-Level
employees.
Work with CFO to identify opportunities to increase revenue through overall rate increases, program fee
changes, and additional membership and program offerings.
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Member of the Executive Leadership Team that set strategy and vision for the association.
• Advised C-Suite leaders on all aspects of membership related to the association including
hiring, strategic planning, and growth strategies.
• Oversaw the Membership Department for the YMCA Association. This included the planning
and implementation of policies geared towards member acquisition, recruitment, and
retention.
• Advised Branch Membership Directors in the development of policies and procedures to achieve
their short and long-term goals.
• Led project taskforce teams in the development of the following: Membership Referral
Program, Corporate Membership Program, and Financial Assistance Program.
• Produced association daily and month -end dashboards related to membership
growth, loss, and retention and all other key data trends.
• Assisted Branch Executive Directors and Membership Directors in budget planning,
forecasting, and variance reporting.
• Coordinated across all departments of service to ensure that membership priorities and
strategies were being met within the unique structure of each program area.
SKILLS
Software: PC, Word, Windows, Excel (NetCom Excel, 1, 2, 3), ACTIVE net, Smartsheet, Daxko Suite,
Admarc, AMSI, PowerPoint, Publisher, WordPress, Constant Contact, Survey Monkey.
Job Related: Project Management, Strategic Planning, Leadership Development, Staff Development,
Training, Standard Operating procedures, Team Leadership, Change Leadership, interdepartmental
communication, and collaboration.
COURSES
Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Reset the clock, Project Management, Intro to Leading Others, Into to Fiscal
Management, Intro to Listen First, YMCA Supervision, Intro to the Y's Cause and Culture, How to Create
and Facilitate a Workshop, Facilitator Training for Giving a Cause Driven Tour.
EDUCATION
University of North Texas
B.A. in General Studies: Business and Volunteer Management, Communication Studies
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Masters — Theological Studies
Certificate - Counseling