City Manager's Department | Addison Town Hall | 5300 Belt Line Rd. | Dallas, TX 75254 | 972-450-7001

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Ron Whitehead

Ron Whitehead has been City Manager of Addison since June 1982.  During the past 26 years, he has guided Addison's growth from a small community to a bustling business center.  Ron has been recognized by numerous groups for his service to city management.  Awards and service positions have included: president of the North Texas City Management Association (NTCMA), member of the Texas City Management Association Board (TCMA), Chairman of the Professional Development Committee for TCMA, Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of North Texas Public Administration Program, the Joy Sansom Mentor Award from the Urban Management Assistants of North Texas, Rotarian of the Year, the L.P. Cookingham Award for Career Development from the International City Management Association (ICMA).  In addition, he has been recognized by ICMA for over 35 years of service to his profession.

In 2006, Ron received the Lifetime Achievement Award from TCMA.  He is a member of the Development Excellence Steering Committee for the north Texas Region and speaks widely on Smart Growth and urban development in America, is on the board of directors of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and is a past member of the board of the Greater Dallas Planning Council.

Before coming to Addison, Ron worked in city government in Beaumont and Irving.  He has a bachelor's degree in government from Lamar University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Texas.  Ron's wife, Donna, is an elementary school art teacher.  They have two daughters, Maxey and Lauren, and are very involved in church and civic groups.

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Lea Dunn

As Deputy City Manager, Lea Dunn is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Police, Fire, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance and IT departments.  She has been with the Town of Addison since 1996.  Prior to that time, she served in various capacities with the City of Bellaire, including City Manager for five years.  She brings to Addison nearly 25 years of municipal government experience with cities throughout Texas.

In 1995 Lea received the "Administrator of the Year Award" from the Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University.  This award is given to "an individual who has demonstrated throughout his or her career a high degree of commitment to ethical standards and excellence in public service and administration."  Among positions Lea has held with numerous associations, she was appointed in 1992 to the Texas Attorney General's Municipal Advisory Committee, and served as President of the Texas City Managers Association in 1995.  She has also served on the Board of Senior Adult Services and is a member of the Addison Midday Rotary Club.

Lea has a B.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in public administration from the L.B.J. School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.  She and her husband Jeff have two sons, James and Jonathan.

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Chris Terry

As Assistant City Manager, Richard Christopher (Chris) Terry oversees several municipal departments:  Development Services, Environmental Health, Building Inspections, Code Enforcement, Special Events, Public Works (Streets, Utilities, and Engineering), General Services (Fleet and Facilities), and the Addison Airport.

Prior to joining the Addison staff in 1993, Chris served as Assistant to the City Manager of Southlake, Texas, and worked for the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool in Austin, Texas.

Chris holds bachelors and master's degrees in political science from Baylor University, and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.  In 1990, Chris was selected as the Clarence E. Ridley Scholar by the Texas City Management Association, an award presented annually to a student of public administration in Texas. Professional memberships include Urban Management Assistants of North Texas, North Texas City Managers Association, Texas City Management Association, and International City Management Association.  He has held various positions of leadership in each organization.

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Addison is in good hands!  Ron Whitehead, City Manager; Lea Dunn, Deputy City Manager; and Chris Terry, Assistant City Manager, altogether have 87 years of experience in city government.

2009-2010 PROGRAM OF WORK:  This document outlines the projects and programs that Town of Addison will be conducting over the next 12 months and beyond in pursuit of its mission, goals and objectives.

WHAT MAKES ADDISON A GREAT PLACE TO WORK?

Addison's employees set the Town apart.  We value our employees and provide the culture, benefits and compensation to reinforce that daily!  After all, we recognize that there are other cities and organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area looking for good people.

• Culture and Benefits

THE TOWN IS IN GOOD HANDS

The City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of Addison and is responsible for managing the diverse departments necessary to keep the Town running smoothly.  Imagine what it takes to run a city: everything from water resources to public safety, traffic flow to economic development, and, since it's Addison, lots of entertainment and special events.  Quite a responsibility for any CEO!  But the City Manager's staff has lots of help.  Addison's department heads have a depth of wisdom that only comes with experience.  In fact, because Addison is such a great place to work, the entire workforce has a stability rate much higher than most city governments.  Longevity can be linked to good management. 

COUNCIL-MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT

Addison's charter established the Council-Manager form of government for the Town.  In a Council-Manager government, the Council serves as the legislative branch.  The Council develops an overall vision for the Town, sets policy, and passes ordinances.  The Mayor acts as the presiding officer of the Council and represents the Town at formal functions and ceremonies.  The day-to-day administrative duties are carried out by a City Manager appointed by the Council.  The City Manager serves at the pleasure of the Council, similar to a CEO of a company.  In a Council-Manager government, changes in the way the city operates or in personnel require cooperative action by council members, the mayor and the City Manager.

Addison has been fortunate to have Ron Whitehead as its City Manager since June 1982.  During the past 26 years, Ron and his staff have guided Addison's growth from a small community to a bustling business center.  Addison's ongoing climate of success and good will can be attributed to the cooperative nature of its government and to a very stable and committed workforce.  Among other things, Addison is known for its low turnover and exceptional longevity of employees.

ADDISON'S UNIQUE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 

TIPS FOR BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP AMONG PROFESSIONALS excerpts from panel discussion at the International City/County Management Association Annual Convention, Montreal, Sept. 2009.

TIMELY INFORMATION

In carrying out the responsibility of managing city departments and services, the City Manager's office is committed to providing timely and accurate information to the people who live, work and play in Addison.  Click here for a weekly update from Ron Whitehead.

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