The UCR Inland Center for Sustainable Development (ISCD) hosted a Randall Lewis Seminar on Thursday, March 5 featuring Greg Deveraux, former chief executive officer (CEO) of San Bernardino County and former city manager of Ontario and Fontana. Devereaux spoke about his experience working in local government as well as the progress he has witnessed in regards to development in the region.
Devereaux began the discussion by giving a rundown of his long standing history in local government. He retired as CEO of San Bernardino County three years ago and stated that the difference between city and county government is that, “cities are about the structure and hierarchy, counties are about relationship.” He began his career in public service as the head of cultural service for the city of Long Beach in 1982, he then moved on to working in Garden Grove until he became the city manager of Fontana in 1993. At the time, Deveraux was the sixth city manager of Fontana in five years and that is where he learned that “city government is a team sport.” After spending a few years in Fontana, he moved on to be city manager of Ontario which he said was more developed but still had some changes to be made.
Devereaux addressed what governments do well and identified what they may be able to improve in. He stated that every city is different but, for the most part, they all take care of basic services such as safety fairly well. “One of the things cities don’t do well is understand how to evaluate and assess risk,” stated Devereaux. Fontana and Ontario had many unfunded liabilities when he started his work there, he mentioned. According to Deveraux, cities can also work on their community engagement.
Toward the end of the discussion, Deveraux answered questions from the audience members in attendance. “There is a great need in our region for more minimum and higher wage jobs,” stated Deveraux in response to a question about the region’s most pressing issues. “We as communities have got to learn to celebrate the diversity in a community,” he added.
Deveraux believes that the biggest success in his career was the lasting progress of Fontana and Ontario stating, “Creating cultural change is one thing, creating cultural change that lasts is another.” Despite this, he stated that he regrets not having done more for the county of San Bernardino, “I’m not sure that we reached the tipping point.”
In response to his ideas for fixing the housing crisis in the Inland Empire, Deveraux stated that in order to give cities more housing and better jobs, cities need to be given a portion of the income tax that is generated by the people working and living within that city. He also stated that homeowners need to be given incentives such as retail and commercial areas.
To young professionals seeking a career in public service, Deveraux stated that they need to be dedicated and fully committed to the cause, “you have to be passionate and care deeply.” He stated that in every job he had, the individuals he worked with changed the quality of life of those in their respective communities for the better, forever. According to Deveraux, “The people who make the highest contributions, take the highest responsibility.”
Finally, Deveraux stated that he would not advise anyone to seek a job in public service “unless they think there is more work to be done than they can possibly do.”
