Avalon’s new city manager is best known to Islanders as a spokesman for Southern California Edison, but Ben Harvey also has a background in city government.
“I want to work as the city manager for Avalon because it’s a community that I am passionate about. This opportunity also allows me to apply my transferable skills and experience. It’s my goal to work with the Avalon City Council, city staff, and key community stakeholders to empower Avalon to reach its tremendous full potential,” Harvey said.
Avalon’s new city manager is best known to Islanders as a spokesman for Southern California Edison, but Ben Harvey also has a background in city government.
“I want to work as the city manager for Avalon because it’s a community that I am passionate about. This opportunity also allows me to apply my transferable skills and experience. It’s my goal to work with the Avalon City Council, city staff, and key community stakeholders to empower Avalon to reach its tremendous full potential,” Harvey said.
“In my current position as Southern California Edison’s Region Manager for Local Public Affairs, I have worked with the City of Avalon and key community stakeholders, such as the Catalina Island Conservancy and the Santa Catalina Island Company, for approximately the past five years,” Harvey said.
“I believe that I have a unique combination of municipal, public utility and Catalina Island-specific experience that makes me a great fit for the job,” he said.
Graduating University of California at Davis in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and French, Harvey was assistant to the city administrator of Bellflower from September of that year to May 1997. He was management analyst for Newport Beach from May 1997 to March 1999.
He obtained his master’s degree in public administration from California State University at Long Beach in 1998.
However, Harvey hasn’t limited himself to the public sector. He has also worked in the private sector. He was manager of the V-Tek Systems’ Client Technical Support Group for four years, ending in 2003.
At V-Tek, among his other assignments, he designed external and internal user training programs and managed the deployment of the Bank of America Apply Online program.
At Toyota Financial Services/Partners Consulting, Inc., his duties included managing the loan origination software Help Desk. He was American Honda Motor Company/APR Consulting, Inc.’s senior business systems analyst.
He also managed permit issues for clients as the principal of Ben Harvey Public Affairs and Processing Services from November 2005 to December 2006.
But while Harvey has a background in both government and corporate life, Harvey doesn’t necessarily fit the stereotype of an executive.
Asked if he could provide a photograph of himself to the Islander, Harvey said:
“Dennis Kaiser took a number of pictures of me at your recent open house over in Avalon. Any chance you could use one of those pictures? That would seem far more appropriate to me than a stuffy, corporate headshot,” he said.
Harvey’s background in both the private and public sector may come in handy as he takes on the unique challenges facing Avalon.
He comes to the job at a time when Avalon needs to spend a lot of money on its sewer system but does not have a lot of money to spend.
“Avalon faces a number of challenges—including infrastructure replacement, and a considerable budget deficit. I have my eyes wide open regarding these serious, quality of life issues that need to be addressed,” Harvey said.
“There will be many difficult decisions and sacrifices that will need to be made over the next few years to address these issues. I’ve been involved in municipal management—and public utility management—for years. A large part of that work experience involves budget management, of course.”
Harvey isn’t concerned about the fact that city manager positions last an average of three to six years.
“I’m very focused and concerned about the specific needs and challenges facing Avalon, and don’t have time to worry about the job tenure of city managers elsewhere,” Harvey said.
