Politics & Government

Los Gatos Resident Tapped As Highland Park, IL City Manager

Former Los Gatos Town Manager Dave Knapp will leave his post in Cupertino April 30.

Los Gatos resident Dave Knapp has a secret about his job as Cupertino city manager, but, shhh, don’t tell anyone, especially his new employer in Highland Park, Ill. Knapp loves his job and it’s not even really work to him, but he gets paid for it.

Knapp—who leaves his post on April 30 after 12 years in Cupertino to take the same position in Highland Park, IL—and his wife, Kay, were just putting the finishing touches on the Los Gatos home they were renovating when he stumbled upon the city manager position in the same city in which their son, Steve, lives in. Though he won’t be able to ride his bike to work every day as he often did in Cupertino, his desire to be closer to his grandchildren—Steve’s two young sons—will more than make up for it.

Known among the community and city staff as a stand-up guy, Knapp proved it to his new employers before accepting the job.

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The youthful looking and fit 71-year-old said he thought it was only right to point out his age to his new bosses in Highland Park who selected Knapp out of 113 applicants.

“I told them, ‘You know I’ll be 72 soon,’” Knapp said.

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The three-year contract he was offered was their way of telling him that his age was not a factor, they liked the work he’s done in Cupertino and his previous 10 years in Los Gatos.

"We were impressed with David's credentials and experience in cutting-edge city management, community building and intergovernmental partnerships. He shares the top priorities we all have: providing high quality service, keeping costs low and fostering constructive two-way communications. His incredible wealth of knowledge and broad experience will serve Highland Park well," .

Highland Park is an upscale city of more than 33,000 on the North Shore of Chicago.

At the April 3 city council meeting where Knapp was honored with a host of accolades and official proclamations, Mayor Mark Santoro spoke of his own feelings of Knapp.

“I always knew Dave was a kind person. I've watched him pull out chairs for little old ladies; he picks up trash as he's walking down the street; he's just a really good natured human being,” Santoro said.

And Santoro explained a situation between the men that occurred when Santoro was first elected to office as councilmember.

“He does one thing that impressed me more than anybody else. People say that after 12 years you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Dave is always willing to learn, and to try new things and that to me is the most impressive thing I've ever seen,” Santoro said.

Along with keeping the city financially fit through two recessions, Knapp shepherded a number of success stories in the city, among them the Don Burnett Memorial Bridge, a nationally recognized block leader program, parks and a capital improvement program that involved the library, senior, teen and sports center.

Amy Chan, a retired Sunnyvale city manager, was approved by council as interim city manager. She joins Cupertino on April 17. Knapp starts his new job May 14.


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