Mountain View Public Works Director Cameron announces retirement

When Dawn Cameron took over as Mountain View’s public works director, it was three months before the pandemic hit. Nearly overnight, everything changed as shelter-in-place mandates tested the city’s essential delivery services. 

It was not what she envisioned when she accepted the job, Cameron said. But she did not back down and for the next two years worked out the logistics to keep the city running, despite many of the challenges of operating during the pandemic.

Now Cameron has announced her retirement, after a 30-year-career in the public sector that includes seven years with Mountain View, according to a city press release on June 20.

Cameron’s public works career began with transportation policy and planning. She got her start as an intern and policy aide for Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon, who had developed a national reputation as a transit leader. Diridon’s policies centered on getting people out of their cars before sustainability became a buzzword, Cameron said.

Cameron went on to work for Santa Clara County Transportation Agency, now known as Valley Transportation Authority, and the County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department.

“My first job has always been transportation, (but) I’ve discovered that I’m just as fascinated by what it takes to replace a sewer main or a water main, these essential services,” Cameron said, explaining that she came to Mountain View to try out new things.

As public works director, Cameron has made a big impact. She has overseen transportation projects and capital improvements for new buildings and facilities as well as plans to help the city reach its sustainability goals, among other things.

For Cameron, the creation of the Castro Street pedestrian mall and El Camino Real bicycle and pedestrian improvement project rank as two of her most important accomplishments.

The pedestrian mall started during the pandemic to promote outdoor dining and has since expanded to become a community-focused gathering space. It was a big step to close off a portion of Castro Street to vehicles, Cameron said, adding that the area will continue to undergo improvements over the next several years.

The El Camino Real project also has been particularly meaningful, Cameron said. It was one of the first projects she started working on when she came to Mountain View. At the time, the project manager planned to add bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings to the busy thoroughfare, but there was no guarantee it would happen.

Cameron was determined not to have it be another plan on the shelf and pushed to make it a reality. It has taken several years because of coordination with Caltrans, but the paving, bicycle lanes and pedestrian improvements are happening this summer, Cameron said.

While the city has seen good progress with its capital projects, there are some challenges that lie ahead. The first is the increasing costs of construction, which is outpacing inflation.

“It’s proving to be more and more challenging to fund as many projects as we want to fund because our funding sources just aren’t there the way they were, and the costs are going up a lot faster than typical,” Cameron said.

The other issue is that the city wants to make major changes to its transportation infrastructure but retrofitting and converting streets into complete “green streets” costs a lot of money, Cameron said.

There also are big needs with the city’s aging public safety building and fire stations. “All of these are very high-cost items that go beyond our typical revenue sources,” Cameron said, noting that implementing capital improvements is going to be harder in the future.

Cameron has left a visible imprint in Mountain View that will be seen for years to come. Her legacy also can be defined by some of her intangible contributions to the city. In community meetings, Cameron’s calm presence has often de-escalated tense situations, keeping conversations on track. 

Cameron attributed her leadership style to great mentors and experience. “I had to learn early on that I need to sit back and think logically through things (and) work on clear communication. Approaching it more from a calm, even-handed manner is one of the greatest ways to build consensus and bring everybody together,” she said.

Cameron is set to retire in September and the city plans to begin recruiting for a new public works director in July.