Not every city manager is celebrated with gifts and tears when leaving City Hall, but according to a vocal group of local leaders in Dana Point, Mike Killebrew far exceeded what can be expected from a city’s top boss.
“Mike is the kind of leader who doesn’t just sit in his office and direct; he truly leads from within,” said Vickie McMurchie, president of the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce. “He’s generous with his time and is always willing to roll up his sleeves alongside the people he serves.”
McMurchie went on to cheer Killebrew for stepping into the role in 2020, which she said was among the hardest of times to take over.
“His leadership made a huge difference for our local economy and for countless business owners,” she said through tears at a recent tribute to Killebrew during his final City Council meeting. “Mike, your actions literally saved businesses. So many more would have shuttered if you hadn’t been so proactive, flexible, and thoughtful during that time.”
And she credited Killebrew for setting the tone with the city staff, saying their success and follow-through are a testament to his leadership.
Killebrew leaves the city after 18 years of service, five as city manager, on Dec. 30. Kelly Reenders, who is the assistant city manager, will take over on Dec. 31. She was hired as the city’s economic development manager in 2016.
Before coming to Dana Point, Killebrew worked for 17 years in Long Beach, where some of the focus of his finance role included city rehabilitation projects, the Long Beach Airport, water treatment facilities and other infrastructure. He left there as the city’s chief financial officer.
While Killebrew said he prefers to stay behind the scenes and not draw accolades, quoting “More good things can happen if you don’t care who gets the credit,” he said that his primary goal in city government has always been to effect positive change.
“I’m always looking to make things better,” he said, adding that his focus was never on becoming city manager. “I’ve been blessed. I’m always looking to set up better policies.”
Among the projects he was involved in was Dana Point’s long-awaited Town Center plan, kickstarting rehabilitation of the commercial area along Pacific Coast Highway, now known as the Lantern District, which attracted many new businesses and restaurants. And, it is exactly what city leaders hoped for, a destination for many in South Orange County.
It has transformed the once-sleepy beachside town into a contender for tourism dollars, competing with neighboring Laguna Beach and San Clemente. New sidewalks, street signs and medians were constructed between Blue Lantern to the north and Golden Lantern to the south. Del Prado AVenue and Pacific Coast Highway were changed into two-lane roadways.
“It was critical,” Killebrew said, because before that, Dana Point had no “downtown.”
He also helped make progress on Doheny Village, a rehabilitation project on the south end of Dana Point, better known as Capistrano Beach, that is expected to similarly pump energy and revitalization into an area that has become tired. The improvements there, which also include more and new housing, should happen within the next two to four years.
With all his experience in municipal government, Killebrew said one of the most significant things he learned in Dana Point was setting the culture of the workforce in a way that built team camaraderie and, through that, benefited the city’s residents.
“The executive team established our expectations of service above self, and some of our very talented staff designed training targeted to implementing and reinforcing the culture,” he said.
Among other things, he said he’s proud of is that Dana Point has the “best roads” in the county. He ensures that, he said, by offering a steak dinner, gratis the public works director, to “anyone who finds a pothole in town.”
So far, he said, there have been no free dinners.
And, while most residents might not have met Killebrew at City Hall or seen him at council meetings, he made it a priority to get out into the community and help out local groups. Just recently, he was licensed to drive the city’s trolleys. On Saturday, his passengers in the trolley were Dana Hills High students participating in the Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade.
Assisting local nonprofits, such as Fish For Life, the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group, the chamber’s annual Turkey Trot and car show and the Dana Point Historic Society’s preservation efforts, has been the “most fun” part of his job, Killebrew said.
Working with these groups, he said, was also “incredibly impactful” for him in his role as city manager.
“In my leadership position with the city, I had a unique opportunity to focus some government resources on helping others better serve our community,” he said. “It is encouraging to see so many selfless people giving their time and money to make others’ lives better.”
In the departing city manager’s honor, McMurchie established the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Mike Killebrew Spirit of Service scholarship, which will be awarded each year to a Dana Hills High senior who shows exceptional commitment to volunteerism and puts service over self.
The chamber’s $1,000 donation will be matched with another $1,000 from the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club, where Killebrew also served.
Wayne Yost, who is the quartermaster of the Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934, also commended Killebrew for not only supporting the post, but being hands-on by “scrubbing pots and cooking tri-tip.”
“Nobody else has that sort of relationship with veterans,” Yost said.
And, Terry Rifkin, president of the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group, thanked Killebrew for his guidance and help with the group’s adopted regiment at Camp Pendleton.
“You may never know the impact you’ve had on our Marine Corps and Navy corpsman families,” she told him.
Among the selection of gifts Killebrew was recently presented, Orange County Sheriff Department Capt. Frank Gonzalez, who serves as the chief of police services for Dana Point and a host of his deputies, presented Killebrew with a recycled wood American flag.
“Police Services is better because of you,” Gonzalez said. “I appreciate the most how many times you were quiet but present, whether it was a briefing because of a protest, Ohana, or a celebration. The deputies were successful because you were always there. You took the time to get to know our people.”