Meet the finalists for Springfield’s city manager 

Today and tomorrow, the interview process is underway for three candidates vying for Springfield’s city manager position. 

Each of the three will be the focus of a half-hour virtual town hall meeting tonight, starting at 6:30 p.m. with David Cameron, current city administrator of Republic; 7 p.m. with Bob Cowell, former city manager of Roanoke, Virginia; and 7:30 p.m. with Brian Weiler, current director of aviation for the Springfield-Branson National Airport. 

The meetings will be broadcast on Cityview.SpringfieldMO.gov and on the city’s Facebook page. 

Tomorrow’s engagements include a community stakeholder breakfast followed by media interviews, meetings with city staff and final interviews with City Council. 

City officials have not specified a timeline for selection, meaning it is unclear which members of City Council will vote on the decision – the current council and Mayor Ken McClure, or the council to be seated during the next meeting, April 21, to be headed by Mayor-elect Jeff Schrag and to include Councilmember-elect Bruce Adib-Yazdi, replacing Matt Simpson. Schrag and Adib-Yazdi have reviewed application materials and are part of the interview process, according to Schrag. 

City spokesperson Cora Scott said via email that the present mayor and council do not know when a final decision will be made. 

On Monday, in advance of their on-site visits, Springfield Business Journal sat down with each of the city manager candidates to learn about their qualifications, values and leadership styles. Questions probed their ideas for speeding up development processes while including residents in the discussion, their strategies for dealing with workplace conflict, their experience with comparable budgets and the strengths and weaknesses they would bring to the role. 

Conversations were held with Cameron at Architect Coffee Co., with Cowell in the lobby of Hotel Vandivort and with Weiler in his airport office. 

Tawnie Wilson | SBJ

It’s something he witnessed in his previous role as city administrator of Siloam Springs, Arkansas – part of the northwest Arkansas region that serves as a model of collaboration many in Springfield would like to emulate. 

During Cameron’s time in Republic, he has overseen the establishment of the city’s Builds office, a one-stop shop for development that he sees as a center for city staffers’ innovation. 

“Quite frankly, I get a lot of credit for being the leader of it, but really, it’s about the employees,” he said. 

Staff had a pretty good idea of how they would improve processes, Cameron said – they just needed to know someone would back them as they made adjustments to improve efficiency of development processes. These changes should be made with feedback from community members and developers. 

“As long as they feel safe to make the changes, that’s what’s important. It’s very important to collaborate with staff from the very beginning,” he said. “In Republic, we’ve worked with the development community, the elected body and the staff, and the staff really just took the vision and ran with it.” 

The one-stop shop approach allows developers to walk in, pay for permits and talk with everyone they need to talk to, he said. 

It’s a change from when Cameron arrived in Republic in July 2016, he said, noting the city faced many of the same complaints Springfield sometimes hears. 

“Republic had the exact same problem,” he said. “I was told when I first got here people said, ‘I’ll never develop in Republic again.’” 

His strategy was to inquire with developers about the problems they were facing – is it a process issue or a relationship issue? 

“When we dig into it and ask, ‘Why do we do it that way?’ nine times out of 10 you’ll get something like, ‘Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it – I’m not sure why,’” he said. 

Cameron has found success in not only empowering, but incentivizing, staff members to find workarounds. Those incentives include something Cameron calls exceptional performance awards, given for finding solutions outside of people’s day-to-day work. 

“A lot of times they have the answer,” he said. “Technology will not take care of it, but a lot of educated people already know.” 

Asked what drives him to find process solutions, Cameron recalled interviewing in Republic for his current job. 

“I saw the potential of all the land,” he said, noting Interstate 44, James River Highway, the airport and rail service. “It was a smaller community, smaller organization, but it had this tremendous potential.” 

On the second day of his interview, Cameron showed up with a list of 16 questions. 

“I said, ‘I’d like to interview you all today,’” he said. “You’ve got all this land; you just need to unlock it. Will you allow someone to come in and help you do that, or do you have to be in control of everything? And they said, ‘Listen, we need someone to come in and run it and help us get back on track.’ 

“I said, ‘I believe my skill set matches your need.’” 

Cameron said he is passionate about the fact that change has the power to make things better. 

He noted it’s important to work with residents – not just developers. If developers change their strategy without informing neighbors of a change, there will be resistance. 

“In Republic, we actually put ourselves in the citizens’ place,” he said. “Just remember, that could be my mother; what would she want to hear?” 

If city staff puts in a water line and tears up a yard, they need to repair it as if they were doing the job for their own mom. 

“I believe what you do is be an authentic person – be who you are – and talk to people and listen,” he said. 

Communication is key, according to Cameron, who said he especially appreciates Springfield’s robust communication team. 

“You need that message to go out on a routine basis,” he said. 

And honesty is the best policy in communicating with the public, whether he stands in front of a story that is positive or one that is challenging. 

“If you believe in what you’re doing it for, I don’t have to make up anything – I’m just David,” he said. “I may not be the cup of tea – I get it – but it’s worked for me.” 

Cameron’s experience with overseeing an operational budget ranges up to about $60 million, and his largest staff ranges up to 375 people. In northwest Arkansas, he said, he oversaw 21 departments. He is in the middle of a $165 million capital project in Republic. 

He said he prioritizes communication with the leadership team in a larger organization. 

“When you have a larger group, the emphasis on your leadership team is important,” he said. “It’s very important to have clarity with that group of people.” 

In the first 90 days, he said, it is critical to forge relationships with the leadership team so they understand who you are and who you’re not. 

“The most important asset you have, truthfully, is your city employee, because they are the hands and feet and the mouthpiece, and what they say is a reflection of you,” he said. 

Cameron sees Springfield as a leader in the region. 

“Southwest Missouri is the fastest-growing region in the state of Missouri and has been the last four years,” he said. “We’ve got real opportunity, because the growth is coming here. We’ve got real challenges, too, that if we work collectively on them, there’s tremendous momentum.” 

There’s an optic that Springfield is the big brother, telling all of the municipalities around it what to do. Cameron thinks that’s changing, and he would like to facilitate that change even more. 

“People are wanting to come together collectively and not work in silos,” he said. “What I would love to do is just continue to bridge the gap and bring everyone closer in. Springfield is the hub. It’s the catalyst.” 

Tawnie Wilson | SBJ

Asked what makes him the best candidate for the job, Cowell said that may not be the right question. 

“When I’m asked that question, I always say the best candidate is whoever is the right fit for the city,” he said. “The council will make that determination. What I bring to that equation is 30 years of experience working with a wide variety of communities – pretty large, complex organizations.” 

He said Roanoke has a population of 100,000 and is the largest city on the western side of Virginia, making it the center of all activities in that area. Before that, he was deputy city manager of Amarillo, Texas, a city of 200,000. 

He got his start as a city planner. 

“I actually went into management out of frustration as a city planner of not seeing things actually moved into action,” he said. “I’ve focused a lot of my energy on making sure we generate strategic ideas and actually put those into action.” 

One thing that makes the Springfield job appealing to Cowell is the city’s Forward SGF comprehensive plan and the depth of involvement in the community to bring it to fruition. 

“It’s not just that it’s a really good plan, but council and the community seem really focused on the implementing of it,” he said. “It’s a plan that’s really going to see action, which is attractive. This is a living document.” 

Most people have no idea what a comprehensive plan is, but Springfieldians are aware of theirs, he said – and the tax revenues associated with it show that the community understands it. 

“The trick will be actually honoring the plan. It’s got a lot of really good things in it, and they’re all going to take a lot of work,” he said. 

Cowell has some ideas for speeding processes in the city, having worked in cities where infill development is the norm. 

“I’ve focused a lot on that piece – trying to figure out how we can make our processes move smoother and actually function better,” he said. 

When he was in College Station, Texas, where he was executive director of development services, he found he could speed processes by empowering staff. 

“We set up the process by which permits could be issued by technicians right there at the counter – they were basic kinds of things where somebody was adding a carport to a house or that kind of thing,” he said. “It removed a lot of headaches.” 

He moved from that role to Amarillo, where he said he was hired to smooth out processes. 

“It was really by focusing on making it as much of a one-stop shop as it could possibly be,” he said. “There’s still stuff that has to get moved around, but that should all take place behind the scenes, and not making people move around.” 

The key is to look at systems that are in place to see if they can be simplified while also looking at codes and ordinances to see if they can be adjusted. 

“The trick is to strike a balance because you’ve also got the other entities that you always have to keep in your mind, which are the neighborhood interests,” he said. “You don’t want to do things that jeopardize and infringe on them.” 

As for weighing development and neighborhood interests, Cowell thinks the parties may well have a lot in common. 

“It really is a balance,” he said. “I don’t actually believe there’s two sides. I believe everybody’s trying to build community. That’s where the comprehensive plan becomes so important, because that’s your first level as a community coming together and trying to figure out what it is that you’re trying to do.” 

Moving Forward SGF into neighborhood plans is going to be the next challenge, he said. 

“When you’re looking at specific plots, that’s when it really becomes pretty critical, but if you can do that well, then you can have those conversations when they’re still ideas rather than projects,” he said. “If you get agreement on those, then you can move the projects through much faster when they comply with them.” 

In Roanoke, Cowell managed a $379 million budget and 1,800 employees. Cowell said Virginia cities have some added complexity, overseeing school funding as well. 

Cowell expressed pride in many of his accomplishments in Roanoke, most notably a bioresearch corridor anchored by the downtown at one end and a health care provider that employed 14,000 and the Virginia Tech School of Medicine. His involvement was to facilitate the expansion of the research institution and help to build a shared lab facility for collaboration with business. 

Despite numerous successes, things in Roanoke did not end the way he would have hoped, he said. 

“In the 30 years I’ve worked, I’ve never had drama until the end. My time did not end in Roanoke the way I hoped it would – as a matter of fact, I hoped my time would not end in Roanoke. I actually love Roanoke. It’s a beautiful community, a great place to work, and we were making huge progress,” he said. 

He said he had a difference of opinion with his City Council about how to address inappropriate behavior by a senior staff member. The rift led to a mutual separation agreement. 

“It kind of broke, I think, a level of trust at that point,” he said. “Unfortunately, those things happen.” 

Cowell said he believes in being honest and open. 

“It’s part of being transparent, and honestly, it’s just part of me – I’m just Bob,” he said. “I think it’s important to me that I present that person as authentically and honestly as practical. That means talking about things that are uncomfortable.” 

Tawnie Wilson | SBJ

“I freely admit, I’m a nontraditional city manager candidate,” he said. “A couple of years ago, if you would have said I’d be in this position today where I’m a finalist, I’d say you were probably crazy.” 

But Weiler rattled off some things he most enjoys about being aviation director – like working on economic development projects and being active in the community – and he sees overlap with those aspects of the city manager job. 

“This really gives me an opportunity to do more of that – to stay and grow in the community,” he said. “This is for me. I’ve never shied from a challenge, and this challenge excites me.” 

Asked how he would improve the pace of development in Springfield, Weiler noted he has been on the receiving end of some of the city’s processes with involvement in both public and private projects at the airport. 

“There’s always room for improvement, no matter what,” he said. “I think rules need to be in place. You can’t allow unfettered development; there needs to be reasonable rules. But if there is a way to streamline, make it more user-friendly, some of the processes that are in review – you’ve got the new development codes – I think they’re heading in the right direction.” 

Weiler said one of his mottos is to look for ways to say yes. 

“I think it’s the idea of sitting down at the table as early as you can and working together,” he said. 

Weiler said he is excited about the idea of neighborhoods developing their own plans, identifying places where development would be welcomed. He noted resident voices need to be included in decision-making, particularly as the city deals with a housing shortage. 

“We have thousands of additional homes and units that need to be built to meet the demand of a growing community, and that will not be an easy issue, no matter what,” he said. “I do think the foundation of the comprehensive plan and the involvement that’s been put into that – and again, the new neighborhood plans that will hopefully bring people to the table earlier so you can make decisions that are a little less controversial.” 

Residents must be part of the process, according to Weiler. 

“People don’t like to be left out of the process or feel like they’ve been brought into a process after they feel decisions have already been made,” he said. “What you cannot compromise on is the idea of being open to input.” 

He added that his role as city manager would be to ensure staff has done due diligence in bringing all parties to the table and made the best recommendation possible to City Council, which has the final decision in development matters. 

Weiler said he was unwilling to be a Monday-morning quarterback on past high-profile council decisions, such as development decisions in Galloway Village or at the intersection of Sunshine Street and National Avenue. 

“You can only view those lenses through hindsight,” he said. “For me to go back and critique and say, well, I’d have done it this way or that way – I don’t think that’s fair.” 

Weiler said he is who he is – Brian Weiler, airport director. 

“That’s most of my experience, but I think I’ve tried to show a track record of collaboration – working with people, being innovative, looking for ways to say yes,” he said. “I still believe that the best negotiation is one where both parties come away feeling like they’ve won.” 

When Weiler arrived at the airport in 2011, its operating budget was $11 million, and the next fiscal year’s proposed budget is $25 million. Debt load has gone from $120 million at his arrival to under $40 million now. As former multimodal director for the Missouri Department of Transportation, he had a budget ranging from $50 million to $100 million annually. The city’s budget, which tops half a billion dollars, is larger than any Weiler has managed before, but he said he feels he is up to the challenge. 

“Anybody that’s not a little bit intimidated about the responsibility of this job and appropriately concerned, I would question their thinking,” he said. “I’m appropriately concerned; I know I have a lot to learn, but what I do know is I think we’ve got a great city leadership team and council, and I’m not as daunted.” 

He added that he would strive to build on the good financial position that the city has achieved and the trust its residents have put in it, as evidenced by their support of tax measures, including the recently passed three-quarter-cent tax for public safety and transformative projects. 

“Key to that is when you have a project, you say what you’re going to do with the funds and then you fulfill those promises. They’ve been very successful with that,” he said. “While we certainly have our challenges, I honestly think we have more opportunities now than we’ve ever had.” 

Weiler said he’s very happy in his current role, but he would also relish the opportunity to grow and stay in the community. 

“If I’m not the candidate, I’ve told council this – I will do everything I can to make the successful candidate successful and support them in any way I can,” he said. “I’m in it for Springfield.”