The Hot Springs Board of Directors announced today their unanimous selection of David Frasher of Happy Valley, Oregon as Hot Springs’ next City Manager. Frasher’s anticipated start date is on or about March 31, 2016.
In 1981, Frasher graduated cum laude from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois with a degree in Administration of Justice. He received his juris doctorate in 1993 from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. Frasher began his career as a police officer for the City of Independence, Missouri, working as a patrol officer, detective and crime scene investigator. Following a one-year appointment as a law clerk for the Alaska Court of Appeals, he opened a private law practice.
The City of Oak Grove, Missouri, a fast-growing Kansas City suburb of 6,000 residents, offered Frasher his first job as City Administrator in 1999. During his two and a half year tenure, he implemented an organization-wide customer service training certification program; initiated an Internet bidding policy to improve efficiency and competitiveness; and developed and adopted new water and wastewater master plans.
Serving as Ashland, Wisconsin’s City Administrator from 2001 until 2005, Frasher oversaw the adoption of a “smart growth” comprehensive plan that was chosen as the best in the state by the American Planning Association; obtained more than $13 million in state and federal grants for multi-modal transportation and public safety projects; and streamlined the development review process.
At the City of Grants Pass, Oregon, Frasher served as City Manager from 2005 until 2009. During his tenure, voters approved a $9.8 million capital levy for the construction of new police and fire facilities. Frasher also worked with employee groups to revise overtime and retirement programs, and led community efforts to employ boulevard concepts and business-friendly roadway design in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation on a $35 million road improvement project.
In 2010, Frasher was appointed City Manager of Oregon City, Oregon (population 35,266), the county seat for a population of about 370,000. Notable achievements during his five and a half year term include devising and implementing a highly successful downtown revitalization program; developing a master plan, public/private partnerships, and securing $20 million in funding for the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, including a new riverwalk in the heart of the city; and securing funding and planned consolidation of a new police, court and City Hall campus to better serve the public.
Frasher is a graduate of the University of Kansas Department of Public Administration’s Leadership Academy for Local Government Executives. As a Credentialed Manager of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), he has attended consecutive national conferences since 1999. He was selected by ICMA to lead a ten-member team of delegates on an international knowledge exchange trip, hosted by the Japanese government.
Frasher and his wife, Gianina, have a daughter, Mila. They enjoy the outdoors, music, travel, cooking together and learning about other cultures.
"We are delighted to be coming to Hot Springs,” Frasher said. “We were overcome by the warmth and hospitality of the people we met there during our visit last week. This, coupled with the city's professional challenges, high quality of life and potential for economic growth and revitalization made Hot Springs an easy choice."