Frank Benest, a former city manager of Palo Alto, Calif., is a consultant and trainer on right-sizing public organizations, entrepreneurial government, civic engagement, leadership development and succession planning. He is a senior adviser for the International City/County Management Association's Next Generation Initiatives. Prior to his appointment in Palo Alto, he served as city manager for two other California cities, Brea and Colton.
Benest has a doctorate in management from Brigham Young University, a master's degree in public administration from California State University-Long Beach and a bachelor's degree from Yale University. A past president of the League of California Cities' City Managers Department and past vice president of ICMA, he teaches at Stanford University and has been inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration.
