City Manager Christopher J. Brady
Chris
Brady became City Manager of Mesa, Arizona in January 2006. With more
than 25 years of public sector management experience, he is the Chief
Administrative Officer of a municipality with approximately 3,500 employees, an
annual operating and capital budget of $1.2 billion and a population of
450,000 residents. Mesa, Arizona is the nation's 39th largest city.
He was hired by the Mayor and City Council in 2005 to bring new
leadership and direction to City government. During his tenure,
Brady has reorganized City departments, streamlined business
operations, improved customer service and professionalism of
City staff, and steered the City through some of the most
difficult economic times in recent history.
Working with the Mayor, City Council, business and community
leaders and residents, he has been instrumental in improving the
City's financial and budgeting models earning the respect of his
peers, and more importantly, Mesa residents. These efforts
included the passage of several capital bond initiatives for
streets and public safety, with debt service being tied to a
secondary property tax (the first in more than 65 years). The
City's general obligation bond rating was upgraded by Standard
and Poor's Rating Service to AA and in 2010, the City's Aa2
general obligation bond rating was reaffirmed by major rating
agencies.
Brady has also used his experience and expertise in economic
development to guide the City's business attraction and
retention efforts including the executive role in the City's
H.E.A.T. initiative which focuses economic development activity
on Mesa's key industries - Healthcare, Educations, Aerospace,
Tourism and Technology. Some of these successes are First Solar,
Banner Health facilities expansions, Able Engineering, Crescent
Crown Distributing, Embraer, Cessna, Waxie, Air Force Research
Lab and the Chicago Cubs Western U.S. Headquarters and Spring
Training Facility.
Prior to joining the City of Mesa, Brady served as Assistant
City Manager of the City of San Antonio for ten years. He also
served in various executive management and administrative
positions for Bellaire, TX, Houston, TX, and Provo, UT.
Education
Brady earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science
from Brigham Young University in 1987 and Master of Public
Administration degree from Brigham Young University in 1989.
Personal
Brady is married and has four children.