Daryel Dunston is the new City Manager of Davis

by: City of Davis Communications Department

DAVIS CITY COUNCIL SELECTS DARYEL DUNSTON AS CITY MANAGER

Aug. 19, 2025 – The Davis City Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Daryel Dunston as the next City Manager of Davis. The Council voted 4-0 during its Aug. 19 meeting to approve the contract (Councilmember Josh Chapman was not present for the meeting). Dunston’s first day as City Manager is set for Sept. 15.

Dunston has almost two decades of professional experience rooted in public service. Most recently, he worked as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Santa Rosa from 2022-2025, where he oversaw Planning and Economic Development, Housing and Community Services, Information Technology, the City Clerk’s Office and code enforcement operations. Dunston also served in multiple capacities with the City of Oakland, including Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Vice Mayor, Senior Planner in the Human Services Department, Operations Section Chief within Oakland’s Emergency Operations Center during the COVID-19 pandemic and Oakland’s inaugural Homelessness Administrator in the Office of the City Administrator. His public service experience also includes being a sworn firefighter, emergency medical technician and assistant fire marshal in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and senior director in the Community Impact Department at the San Francisco Foundation.

Dunston is distinctly skilled at complex project management, government administration, policy development and emergency operations with an ability to develop strong, effective working relationships. Dunston has a wide range of experience including leading labor negotiations, developing annual budgets and revenue projections and performing short- and long-range planning development. Some notable achievements include:

• Opening a new family shelter in partnership with the City of Emeryville to serve up to 20 families at a time to help address the impacts of homelessness
• Launching the first data dashboard for the City of Santa Rosa around government transparency and promoting data-informed decision making
• Signing the first Memorandum of Understanding between a city and the California Office of Emergency Services for mutual-aid and technical assistance to local jurisdictions impacted by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires
• Obtaining the State of California’s Pro-housing Designation, scoring the fourth highest of all cities in the state
• Securing approximately $35M in new funding from the State of California and the Kaiser Foundation
• Leading the process to establish an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) to bolster economic development in Santa Rosa’s downtown corridor

In addition, Dunston has received multiple accolades such as Who’s Who in America in 2024 for his career contributions to the public sector and North Bay Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2023. He also graduated at the top of his recruit class in the fire academy, earning the prestigious Fire Chief’s Award for his significant contributions to the graduating class.

“I am deeply humbled and sincerely appreciative of this distinct honor. I am indebted to the City Council for the confidence and trust they have placed in me, and I will serve Davis with the same empathy, dedication and devotion that I have demonstrated in my previous roles in local government,” said Dunston. “I intend to build upon the solid foundation County Administrator Webb has laid, and I am committed to working alongside City staff to deliver exceptional programs and services to the residents of Davis for years to come.”

“We welcome Daryel Dunston with great enthusiasm,” said Mayor Bapu Vaitla. “Daryel has extensive experience in public service, beginning his career as a firefighter and moving on to work in a variety of roles in Oakland, San Francisco and most recently, Santa Rosa where he was an Assistant City Manager. Daryel’s unique mix of administrative skill, personal warmth and technical knowledge stood out among our pool of excellent candidates.”

“I am really looking forward to working with Daryel as our next City Manager,” said Vice Mayor Donna Neville. “He brings great experience and energy, and I believe he is the right person to help us navigate the challenging issues we face.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Daryel Dunston as our new City Manager,” said Councilmember Josh Chapman. “Daryel brings a wealth of experience in local government, community development and public service, and we’re confident his leadership will help guide our city into a strong and vibrant future.”

“Throughout his career, Daryel has shown a deep commitment to public service through leadership roles in housing, emergency management and public safety,” said Councilmember Linda Deos. “That kind of dedication and versatility speaks volumes and will be an asset to our community.”

“I am excited to begin working with Daryel Dunston, and I believe the community will be well served under his leadership,” said Councilmember Gloria Partida. “Daryel brings both an understanding of who we are and what our potential is and I am grateful to my council colleagues and Bob Murray and Associates for going through the selection process in a thoughtful and thorough manner.”

Dunston completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia and received his graduate degree from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP). He has also served on the UC San Francisco’s Community Engagement Council, University of San Francisco’s School of Management Board of Advisors, GSPP’s Board of Advisors and was Chair of GSPP’s Alumni Board for three consecutive terms.

Dunston enjoys cycling and writing, and he’s an avid golfer. He and his wife have two children, ages 12 and eight, and they look forward to learning more about Davis and discovering the many treasures that make Davis amazing.