James Keene has been city manager of Palo Alto, Calif., since 2008. Previously he served as city manager of Berkeley, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz., and as a county manager in Arizona. He is a former executive director of the California State Association of Counties; served as director of strategic issues and ICMA West for the International City/County Management Association; and is a former president of the Alliance for Innovation.
Keene, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, teaches in executive programs at Stanford University and the University of Virginia and is a frequent speaker at conferences and in other forums. He received his master's degree in urban studies from the University of Maryland.