Rick Haydon

Rick Haydon brings more than 30 years of municipal government experience to his projects, having worked in not only small and medium-sized agencies but also in large organizations, with over 20 years in executive management-level positions.  Rick is an expert facilitator and organization development consultant. He provides consulting assistance to government leaders by facilitating strategic planning/goal-setting workshops, performing organizational assessments, conducting performance evaluations on executive managers, and working through budget and fiscal issues. His clients appreciate Rick’s professional demeanor and political acumen, his ability to see the big picture while not losing sight of the details, and his delivery of projects on time and on budget.

His career includes executive management-level experience in administration, human resources, budgeting, fiscal sustainability, strategic planning, labor relations, and policy and organizational development. Before affiliating with MRG, Rick was a Special Advisor for a consulting firm where he worked with dozens of local government clients in the areas of goal setting, strategic planning, organizational assessments, fiscal sustainability, executive coaching, and policy development.

Prior to being City Manager for two California cities, Santa Maria and Solvang, Rick worked as Budget & Employee Relations Manager and Business Manager for the cities of Dinuba and Monterey, respectively. He also worked in various analytical roles for the City and County of Fresno as well as the Monterey-Salinas Transit District.

Rick has held various leadership positions in professional and civic associations, having received awards from both, including being named Citizen of the Year in Santa Maria, California. In addition to his professional achievements, Rick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fresno, and a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis on administrative organization and management from Golden Gate University.  He is a past recipient of the Robert F. Grogan Award for Public Service and a previous recipient of the National Management Association (NMA) Manager of the Year Award.