On Wednesday, the Town of Discovery Bay Community Services District announced they have selected Mike Davies as its next general manager.
Davies, who served as Police Chief of the City of Brentwood for 5-years and spend 26-years with the Department, will begin his new role on January 3, 2017 where he will take the reigns from Catherine Kutsuris who has severed as interim general manager since February 19.
Kutsuris took over after Rick Howard resigned to take a job at the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District.
She praised the boards patience in seeking the right candidate.
“I believe that the Board did a very good job of being patient as they reviewed many, many candidates – waiting for the right individual to lead this organization,” said Kutsuris. “Mr. Davies’ has proven leadership skills – and I believe he will be a significant asset to the Town and do an exemplary job as the General Manager.”
According to the employee agreement, Davies will receive a 5-year contract through Dec. 31, 2021. His annual salary will be $130,4834.00.
He will also receive a $250 monthly contribution to the Districts Deferred Compensation Program. Davies has declined the medical insurance and will be paid a $250 monthly contribution towards the Employees Deferred Compensation Program. The District will provide a monthly car allowance in the amount of $250. He will also be provided a laptop computer and cell phone.
Davies says he is ready for the challenge and excited to get to work.
“I am excited about starting a new adventure and working for the town of Discovery Bay. Its going to be a new challenge for me,” said Davies. “I have never done town management before. My previous experience was as a police chief so this is a new adventure and I am excited about taking it on.”
Davies says he applied after he was encouraged by several members of the community saying he would be a good fit. Rather than go through the recruitment firm, Davies simply applied for the position on his own.
“I received a call from someone in the community that told me they had been in the General Manager hiring process and something fell through so they were re-opening the process. They thought I would be good for the position and convinced me this would be a great place to work. I explored it further and decided to throw my hat in the ring,” explained Davies.
Davies says he has experience in management and leadership along with a law degree as well as a degree in management and business. Most recently he taught for the state for the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST).
“I have managed budgets for the police department, state of California (POST) where I taught leadership to new police chiefs and sheriffs,” explained Davies. “In law enforcement when you are promoted you are thrown into something you have never done before and you learn real quick. Police officers are trained to be adaptable and adjust to new situations and the same will apply for me in Discovery Bay.”
He says with the City of Brentwood, he had been challenged with building up the police department to meet the demands of the community while working within the budget.
Most importantly for Davies, he applied and took the job because it allows him to work in the town he loves.
“I live where I play. Now I get work where I live and play. I love living on the water, the water front community, I’ve been coming out to the Delta for many years. My parents lived in Discovery Bay before I did. I enjoy being out here. It gives me peace and solitude in this type of lifestyle,” said Davies. “I am really excited and looking forward to it, I don’t want to let anyone down.”
Another component he says that will help him get acclimated is his relationships within both the community of Discovery Bay and neighboring cities.
“I have been blessed with so many friends in east county and having the benefits of great relationships with community leaders. The politicians, hopefully that will be to my benefit as I take on this new endeavor,” says Davies.
Davies says some of his top priorities are getting to know his staff and finding their strengths to lean on them so they can work on narrowing in on expectations. He says the the water meter project is on the forefront and wants to identify and develop relationships within the business community.
Another priority for Davies is to work with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, who he says does a great job, to identify ways they can prevent crime within the city. He hopes to create more awareness and educational campaigns where residents may unknowingly invite crime in such as leaving doors on homes and vehicles unlocked or leaving valuable items in plain sight.
CSD Director Kevin Graves is excited to have Davies on board and believes his leadership will be an asset for the community.
“The board looked long and hard at many candidates over the last several months. When it came to the end, we had two solid candidates to make a decision. As a board, we felt like Mike Davies is the candidate because he is the right guy to lead the district into the future,” said Kevin Graves.
Check back for updates
