George Richard Swanson, a former Mill Valley councilman and mayor, has died at the age of 78.
Mr. Swanson, who commonly went by the name “Dick,” died on July 19 while he was on a fly-fishing trip in Great Falls, Montana, said his son, Kevin Swanson.
“My mom and I will forever revere my dad’s commitment to public service and his love for his family and community,” said Swanson, a resident of Washington, D.C. “Mill Valley is a special place to raise a family with good schools, safe streets and a real sense of community because of people like my dad.”
Mr. Swanson served on the Mill Valley City Council from 1999 to 2007. He had previously served as a city planning commissioner.
His son said he would be remembered for his community service work, through his elected positions and as a Little League coach.
“My dad found joy in giving back and always looked for any opportunity to pay it forward,” he said. “His spirit of service will live on through his family, friends and community in his memory.”
In 2007, while vice mayor, Mr. Swanson wrote a newspaper article in support of the Miller Avenue precise plan, a guide for potential development and transportation infrastructure along the artery.
“People move to Mill Valley for many reasons, including its schools, natural setting and small-town character. Any implication of change or alteration to those characteristics is viewed with skepticism and distrust,” he wrote. “While planning to proactively manage development proposals may be unsettling to many, it is far preferable to having no plan at all.”
Mr. Swanson worked as a financial consultant with a focus on the transportation industry. He was a consulting partner with the public sector industry group at Deloitte for 10 years and the chief financial officer of the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency for three years.
Mr. Swanson was an instructor at the University of California, Berkeley, graduate program and taught introductory public finance. He was a member of the San Francisco Mayor’s Fiscal Advisory Committee and the American Public Transit Association. Other organizations he served during his career included the Transportation Authority of Marin, the Marin County Transit District, the Mill Valley Historical Society board and the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation.
Kevin Harper of San Francisco said the Alameda County agency was a client of his accounting business while Mr. Swanson was employed there. Mr. Swanson worked part-time with Harper in semi-retirement and most recently did an inventory of assets owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Harper said.
“Dick was a high-powered, mild-mannered consultant. It was a very endearing combination,” Harper said.
Andrew Berman, a former Mill Valley mayor and councilmember, called Mr. Swanson a “very methodical thinker” who brought “deliberate focus and stability” to his considerations on the council.
“He brought a significant amount of discipline to the financial aspects of the projects we had in front of us,” Berman said. “I remember him quite fondly and as a very good companion and polite and respectful person to have the board or council with you.”
Mayor Jim Wickham said, “I knew Dick when I was on the police force and always respected his integrity in addressing local issues.”
The Mill Valley City Council adjourned its Aug. 1 meeting in Mr. Swanson’s memory.
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