In
December, we shared the first part (found here) of a two-part profile on Daryl Grigsby – the
new Public Works Director for the City of San Luis Obispo. In this second part,
we delve deeper into the life of public service that led him to his present
position.
Daryl Grigsby
Photo by: Brian Minami
Written by: Stephanie Hunting
Daryl got his start in government as an administrative
analyst for the City of San Diego back in the ‘70s – a job that taught him how
to wade through government forms. After several years, he moved up to Government
Affairs Liaison for the City Manager. This position gave him insight as to how
local governments operated as he worked as a go-between for the City Manager,
Mayor, and City Council.
“Going to all of the City Council meetings was an amazing
experience,” Daryl recalls. “Really, the local government is just a mirror of
our own failings and successes on a public and very visible scale.” Daryl was
quick to observe that many problems could be resolved through listening to
others and trying to see the bigger picture.
Daryl’s next few years brought about an uncanny pattern of
starting a new position only to rise just months later to a role vacated by a
supervisor. In the first instance, Daryl rose from San Diego’s Assistant Deputy
Director of Water and Wastewater to Deputy when his supervisor resigned. In the
early 1990s, after a move to Seattle to become Environmental Programs Manager
for a private wastewater and transportation agency, he became Director of
Pollution and Control after half a year. Finally, after a mayoral appointment
to the City’s Transportation Division Director a few years later, Daryl again
received a quick promotion – this time to the City’s Department Head of
Transport.
While in Seattle, Daryl learned about alternative mode
funding and pursued projects to install traffic improvements, infrastructure
improvements, and bike trails. His favorite project was the Spokane Street ViaductMedian Barrier – a powerful safety improvement on a previously treacherous
stretch of road. Several appreciative citizens personally testified to and
thanked Daryl for the new system, many saying the barrier had likely protected
them from horrible accidents.
Daryl began his first role as a Public Works Director for
the City of Kirkland– an amalgamation of his previous experience in water, wastewater,
transportation, and waste management – in 2005. He received the Washington State Roy Morse Award in 2008, and in 2009 became heavily involved with the
National American Public Works Association (APWA).
In 2010, Daryl took on a new Public Works position with the
City of Pomona, where he completed a series of essential projects despite the
City’s dire financial condition at the time. Perhaps his most engaging project
in Pomona centered on making the city of 150,000 more bike- and
pedestrian-friendly.
Daryl had long recognized that transportation options are
important for a variety of reasons, just one of which is relief of traffic
congestion. A group of citizens had been expressing interest in a City
affiliation with CicLAvia, an organization dedicated to connecting communities
by temporarily shutting down streets to vehicle traffic and allowing
pedestrians and cyclists to move freely. City officials had not exactly been
openly accepting of the idea, which Daryl recognized as an opportunity for
people to connect in a fun, active way that also enhanced community engagement.
Daryl’s Ride Around Pomona (RAP) program, born in 2010, saw Pomona residents joining
Daryl on 7.5- to 10-mile rides to explore and gain more insight about their hometown.
Daryl says the program also sparked higher levels of community involvement in
general. Daryl helped Pomona create a Bike Master Plan and pushed for the installation
of two Class 2 bike lanes in a city that previously had none. The Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition has since adopted Daryl’s RAP as one of its
monthly rides, keeping the community-led program active.
After noticing the City of San Luis Obispo’s need for a new
Public Works Director, Daryl decided to pursue the position. By late 2012, he
was making his mark on the public affairs of the Central Coast. Here, he
continues to share his zeal to imbue others with an active desire to change
their communities. Government is far better when citizens are involved, he
says.
Daryl’s biography teems with diversity – a pervasive theme
not only in his career path but in his hobbies and social impact. No better
word comes to mind than “multifaceted” as an embodiment of his personality. His
passion for people and a desire to help develop quality local infrastructure
are winning qualities for any Public Works Director.
