Doug Harms is the longest active tenured city administrator in Missouri, having served as an administrator for 50 years. | photo by Ursula Ruhl
The Des Peres Board of Aldermen recently honored City Administrator Doug Harms for his 50 years of service as a city administrator.
Harms, who has been with the city of Des Peres since 1985, began his profession in 1973 when, at the age of 21, he became Normandy’s first city administrator. He next accepted the city administrator position with Glendale in 1979, before making his final stop in Des Peres, where he resides today.
Harms is the longest active tenured city administrator in Missouri. Bola Akande, city administrator for Brentwood and president of the Missouri City Management Association, presented Harms with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award during a conference at the Lake of the Ozarks in May.
“I have known Doug for the past 18 years, and he is a champion for the city management profession,” Akande said. “He is a friend, colleague, advocate, and mentor to many of us in the city management profession.
“As a leader in local government in the state of Missouri, he has been a city administrator or city manager for 50 years — an achievement that no other Missouri city administrator or manager has reached until now,” Akande said.
Akande added that 50 years of service as “a remarkable accomplishment” in the city management profession, where the average tenure is below eight years with any given community.
“Doug has proven himself as someone who has mastered those skills as evidenced by his unfailing tenure,” Akande said.
Harms earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri, where he later earned his master’s in public policy and administration.
“I knew early in life what career path excited and inspired me, thanks in part to having experienced the euphoria of the days of Camelot when a government career was viewed as a noble profession,” Harms said. “To this day, I have not regretted that decision. In city management you don’t accomplish anything alone — achievements are team achievements working with the elected officials, citizens, city employees and with your peers in the region.”
During his time in Des Peres, Harms has served alongside 41 elected officials, including five mayors and 36 aldermen. He has attended over 1,300 Des Peres Board of Aldermen meetings.
Harms personally hired all 102 active employees with the city of Des Peres, including four assistant city administrators, five city clerks, seven finance directors, three public works directors, four public safety directors, and six directors of park and recreation.
“I have been fortunate to have been able to work in two great area cities (Glendale and Des Peres) for most of my career, and that the elected officials in both have been committed to doing the right thing even when difficult — an attitude that continues to reinforce my belief in government service,” Harms said.
“I believe that I have made a difference in both those communities and in the region, generally,” he continued. “While 50 years is a long time to do anything, I remain committed to continuing that work as long as God will allow me, and I believe that I continue to make a difference in the life of Des Peres residents.”
Harms served as former president of the St. Louis Area City Managers Association in 1984, and was president of the Missouri City Managers Association in 1987. He was also the 1991 recipient of the Missouri City Management Association Jay T. Bell Award, the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Local Government Achievement Award from East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the 2011 recipient of the Buzz Westfall Award for Excellence in Local Government from the St. Louis County Municipal League, and the 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Missouri-St. Louis MPPA Program.
He served as a member of the board of directors of the Missouri Municipal League, and has also been active in Jefferson City on crucial legislative issues pertaining to local governments in Missouri.
Current and former city officials —from Des Peres and other municipalities in the region — speak highly of Harms.
“When I came into office and met Doug, I always trusted him, and he was always honest with me,” said Sharon Burkhardt, who served as mayor from 1992 to 2000.
“He had a great amount of knowledge and was willing to share with other city administrators in the state and community,” she added. “He has been a significant addition to Des Peres, and Des Peres would not be what it is now without Doug Harms.”
Current Des Peres Mayor Mark Becker echoed that sentiment and extended his heartfelt congratulations to Harms on his 50th anniversary as city administrator.
“He’s the dean of city administrators, and often, I hear people say, ‘Let’s see what Doug Harms thinks,’” Becker said. “Doug has been an integral part of our management team in Des Peres for decades, and we are grateful for his leadership and endless contributions to our community. It is an award well deserved.”
Pat Kelly is the executive director of the Missouri Municipal League and former mayor of Brentwood.
“I’ve known Doug for at least 25 years, going back to when I was an elected official,” he said. “What stands out is his willingness to help anybody in the public service arena, especially city administration.
“Doug was always there and willing to help those individuals when they needed it,” Kelly continued. “Because of his experience, he is a wealth of knowledge, especially regarding some of the issues that the Municipal League members felt in dealing with St. Louis County taxing issues.”