The San Diego City Council on Monday approved Eric K. Dargan to serve as the city’s chief operating officer, replacing interim COO Jay Goldstone.
Dargan, the current chief operating officer of the Houston Public Works Department, will take over the San Diego position on November 1. His appointment follows a national search with nearly 200 candidates.
Mayor Todd Gloria cited Dargan’s “passion for public service and ability to get things done” as the reason for his selection.
“I am proud and excited to name Eric as the next chief operating officer of the City of San Diego, where his skills and experience will be put to great use as we continue the work to improve our city at every level,” said Gloria. in a statement. “Eric is a true public servant who is ready to tackle our big challenges from building more housing and addressing homelessness to fixing our city’s crumbling infrastructure. I am confident that Eric will help drive change in the city and lead our mission to make San- Diego not only. a beautiful city, but a really great city.”
Dargan has been with the city of Houston for more than 20 years, overseeing the city’s water, transportation and drainage operations, permitting center, customer account services and capital projects. He is also responsible for the safe operating condition of the city’s streets, bridges, drainage ditches, water, sewer and stormwater facilities, as well as permitting and billing.
“I am honored to have been selected to help Mayor Todd Gloria carry out his great plans for this beautiful city,” Dargan said in a statement. “I have a real passion for tackling significant challenges and making municipal operations as efficient as possible for the people they serve. I look forward to bringing that passion to the city of San Diego.”
An Arkansas native, Dargan earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Prairie View A&M University in Texas. He earned his masters of science in electrical engineering at Michigan State University in 1991. While working for Houston, Dargan received a Certified Public Manager credential through Sam Houston State University in 2007.
Dargan began his professional career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., now AT&T, and also served 10 years in the U.S. Army – two years as a lieutenant on active duty and eight years in the National Guard, reaching the rank of captain and serving. as a company commander in the 136th Signal Corps.