Dean Frieders
Village Manager and Village Attorney, Village of Pingree Grove
If you had to live in a different city, what city would you choose?
Petaluma, California. That would be my selection based on the unique geological profile, the regional assets to leverage, and the amazing cultural offerings to enhance local governmental service.
Storytelling or innovation? Which is the most overused word in local government?
Neither—the most overused word in local government is transparency. It gets overused in local government discourse by both private citizens and units of government, each talking about a different type of transparency. Transparency in the name of “full disclosure” of every waking moment that a unit of government operates is counter-productive. Governments should instead focus on voluntary and intentional disclosure of relevant information to engender an informed citizenry.
What year would the most important in your life? Why?
While many years of my past have been formative, I would hope that the most important year in my life is always the one I’m presently living, as it is the only year that offers the opportunity to continue to embrace change and enable progress, both personally and professionally.
(Complete this sentence) The one thing that I think is missing from local government is….
…storytelling to the public about all the wonderful people working hard to provide the services that keep a city operational.
What’s your area of expertise? This is not necessarily just your department, but something about local government work that you love learning about, implementing, and talking through with others:
A willingness to operate closer to a well-run corporate organization, inclusive of having a sense of humor.
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