Chris Good focuses on communication between city and public

Article and photo by Amy Moss Strong, Bandon Western World - February 26, 2015. Read the original story here.

BANDON — Since moving to Bandon to work as the new city manager, Chris Good has been a busy man. What would you expect after being given a list of 42 ongoing and recommended projects by outgoing city manager Matt Winkel?

No. 1 on the list: City Charter amendment regarding utility rate setting authority. No. 42 on the list: Sell the city automobile (2013 Ford Fusion) used by the former city manager. (See sidebar for the full list).

But Good, 48, isn't daunted by the list and he's added a few of his own tasks as well.

Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Good attended Catholic school through eighth grade, then a public high school. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in communication studies from Michigan State University in 1989, then went to work for a state senator in Michigan, getting his first taste of public service work.

“That job made me realize I wanted to work in the public sector,” Good said.

He met his wife, Ann, in college and they both decided they wanted to move away from Michigan. So they got married the day before they moved to New Mexico, where Chris had decided to pursue a graduate degree at New Mexico State University. There, he earned his Master's of Public Administration, with a minor in communication studies in 1994, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

Upon graduation, Good went to work for the City of Las Cruces, N.M., as performance budget analyst and city management staff intern, then as public information officer. In 1998, he became webmaster of the City of Reno, Nev., then worked his way up to assistant to the city manager and director of neighborhood services.

“The job evolved over 15 years, from webmaster, to analyst, to department head, then assistant to the city manager,” Good said. “The city manager at the time believed in preparing middle management to work into management positions.”

Good left his position at the City of Reno in 2012 to take a job as city manager in Fernley, Nev., about 30 miles away. He left that position after a new mayor and councilors were elected. Good describes it as a difference in management philosophy.

When he applied for the job in Bandon, then traveled here for the interview, he was immediately struck by the city's beauty and friendliness.

“The first afternoon I was here, I walked around Old Town and it knocked my socks off,” he said. “It was the water and the charming shops and friendly people. Bandon represents another big change of pace for my wife and me and we look forward to it. I have a lot to learn about the community and the issues facing the city, but I see lots of civic involvement and that's a good thing. In a city this size, to see the kind of involvement I see is really impressive.”

As a former public information officer, Good understands the importance of communication between public agencies and the public they serve.

“I try to be as transparent as I can be and forthright with the public about how the public resources are being used,” Good said. “As a management style, regarding staff, I have to rely on the expertise of people in the field and I have to be comfortable that what I recommend to the council is staff's best advice.”

Good looks to people such as the city attorney and the city's engineer for advice, and to the City Council and mayor to let him know what they recommend and the direction they want the city to go.

Of the list of 42 items, Good is working on ways to prioritize and address them, but first he's knee-deep in helping to prepare the 2015-16 fiscal budget proposal.

In his spare time, Good is a musician who plays guitar, writes and sings original songs and has performed in coffee shops and bars. He owns an acoustic guitar and a hollow-body electric guitar and for seven years co-hosted an open mic night in Reno.

“You meet a lot of interesting people that way,” he said, adding that his musical inspirations are Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snyder and Buddy Miller.

“I don't claim to be very good, but it's just a hobby,” he said.

He and Ann also raise border collies and currently own three. Ann runs the border collies on sheep in sheep dog trials and hopes to continue that in the Northwest. The couple just purchased a home in Bandon and are excited to move in and get settled.

Meanwhile, Winkel has helped Good get settled into his new job, offering assistance to ensure a smooth transition.

Good said one of his strengths is explaining complex things to policymakers and the general public in a way that helps them make the best decisions.

“Having the background in communication has required me to at least know a little bit about everything a city does,” he said.

Good also looks forward to meeting the people of the community.

“I try to have an open door policy, so come by City Hall anytime and say hello.”