Climb Higher. Lead Smarter. Elevate Performance
1 Prepared for the Town of Apple Valley by Harness Strategy LLC with support from Cardinal Communications
TOWN LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW SUMMARY
Town of Apple Valley Strategic Vision
1 PURPOSE
The early touchpoint interviews with the Town Council and leadership were conducted to develop a deeper understanding of Apple Valley:
• What defines the Apple Valley community today
• Where the Town has made meaningful progress
• How leaders and staff envision the future
• Key constraints, risks, and considerations shaping that future These thoughtful insights, grounded in deep experience, complement the document review and will directly inform community engagement and development of the Strategic Plan. 2 COUNCIL AND LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWED
Interviews were conducted with Town Council members, Town leadership, and department heads across, including administration, planning, public safety, infrastructure, information technology, parks and recreation, economic development, housing, and animal services.
Council Members Position/District
Scott Nassif Mayor
Kari Leon Mayor Pro Tem, District 3
Art Bishop District 2
Larry Cusack District 1
Curt Emick District 4
Leadership Position/Department
Guy Eisenbrey Town Manager
Brandon Cales Information Technology
David Contreras Planning
La Vonda Pearson Government Services/Town Clerk
Paul Osterman Building & Safety
Adriana Atteberry Animal Services
Suresh Malkani Finance
Richard Pederson Town Engineer
Debbie Rivera Parks & Recreation
Kristine Williams Human Resources
Silvia Urenda, Assistant Director Economic Development & Housing Tim Visosky San Bernardino County Police
Department
3 WHAT DEFINES APPLE VALLEY TODAY
Apple Valley Is a Community with Strong Identity and Pride Across interviews, Apple Valley was consistently
described as a community defined by:
• A keen sense of independence and local control
• Pride in quality of life, wide open spaces, and
affordability
• A commitment to public safety and community
well-being
• A culture of service within Town government
Interviewees that are also residents expressed a clear desire to preserve Apple Valley’s unique rural and hometown character while thoughtfully evolving to meet current and future needs. Note, however, that a minority of interviewees expressed that Apple Valley is no longer rural and attitudes to keep it that way must change to keep pace with changing resident needs. Key Insight: Preserving Apple Valley’s identity is a central consideration in shaping its future direction.
Town Government and Staff Are a Significant Strength
A consistent theme across interviews was the effectiveness of the Town Council, cooperation among Council members, and the strength, professionalism, and dedication of Town leadership and staff. Participants highlighted:
• A culture of responsiveness and customer service
• Strong fiscal stewardship and disciplined management
• A collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to challenges • Pride in delivering high-quality services with limited resources • A positive, supportive culture
Apple Valley doesn’t feel like other town
governments. It feels more like residents
serving residents.
Department Director
• A capable, committed, and enthusiastic team
Key Insight: This organizational strength provides a solid foundation for successful strategy implementation.
4 WHERE WE’VE BEEN: PROGRESS TO DATE
One central purpose of the interviews was to understand how far Apple Valley has come.
Participants consistently highlighted meaningful progress across several areas, which align directly with the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan.
Public Safety and Community Presence
Apple Valley has made significant investments in public safety, including the addition of 10 new team members to the Apple Valley Police Department to enhance resident protection and service delivery. This increased presence is visible across parks, neighborhoods, schools, and community events, reinforcing a sense of safety and responsiveness.
Community Life and Events
Interviewees overwhelmingly highlighted the Town’s success in creating a vibrant community through events and programs. Activities such as the Sunset Concert Series, running races, youth and senior programming, aquatics, and the annual 4th of July celebration draw both residents and visitors from surrounding communities. These efforts directly support Vision 2020 goals related to community engagement, recreation, and civic pride.
Participants expressed a desire to maintain and build on these successful events to continue to contribute meaningfully to Apple Valley’s quality of life.
Infrastructure Investment and Improvements
The Town has initiated significant infrastructure projects, including the Bear Valley Road Bridge rehabilitation and Rock Springs Road improvements. These projects represent major investments in mobility, safety, and long-term infrastructure capacity.
Economic Development and Retail Growth
Apple Valley has successfully attracted new retail and commercial activity, including Sprouts, Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Five Below. The Town has also begun development of the North Apple Valley Industrial Specific Plan area, positioning itself for future job growth and economic diversification.
Revitalization of the Village Area
Efforts are underway to enhance the Village area, including incremental sidewalk improvements aimed at increasing walkability, safety, and revitalization of local dining and services.
Alignment with Vision 2020
These accomplishments reflect meaningful progress toward several Vision 2020 priorities, including:
• Public Safety
• Economic Development
• Infrastructure and Transportation
• Parks, Recreation, and Community Engagement
Apple Valley is not starting from scratch—it is building on a solid foundation of measurable progress and community investment.
5 VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Interview participants articulated a clear and forward-looking vision for the community and there was strong alignment among the Town Council, leaders and department heads on the strategic direction and top priorities.
Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Quality of Life
Remain Core Priorities
Consistent with prior strategic planning efforts and community surveys, interviewees emphasized the following as top
priorities:
• Maintaining momentum in public safety
• Continued investment in roads and infrastructure
• Maintaining and enhancing overall quality of life
• Increasing local amenities, services, and entertainment (arts/cultural) opportunities Economic Growth to Support Community Services
There is strong recognition that attracting new businesses is essential—not only to provide amenities and services, but to expand the Town’s tax base. Several leaders expressed this as “being more progressive.”
Interviewees emphasized the importance of helping residents understand the connection between:
• Economic development
• Revenue generation
• The ability to fund infrastructure, roads, and services Some interviewees also expressed concern that the community expectations for Measure P may not be in line with reality. Even with Measure P, additional revenue will be necessary to meet longterm community expectations.
Housing Diversity to Support Future Growth
Many participants identified housing as a critical factor in the Town’s future. Current zoning patterns—particularly large lot requirements—limit the ability to attract younger residents, families, and future workforce populations.
There is growing support for increasing housing diversity, including a broader range of housing types that can:
Progress to Build On
Apple Valley is making
measurable progress—
strengthening public safety,
investing in infrastructure,
expanding community events, and
attracting new businesses that
enhance quality of life and
economic opportunity.
• Improve affordability
• Attract new residents
• Support long-term economic vitality
• Emerging Economic Opportunities
Although there was strong support for increasing housing diversity, participants simultaneously supported protecting Apple Valley’s character by preserving current zoning requirements in the Town’s core, while developing single-family homes on smaller lots, and multi-unit developments on the outskirts. A few interviewees referred to this as developing from “the outside in.” A small minority of participants did not want development of any multi-unit housing.
A Premier High Desert Community
A consistent aspiration heard was for Apple Valley to become the “premier high desert community” to live, work, and play—a place where residents can access jobs, amenities, entertainment, and education locally, rather than traveling “down the hill” to neighboring regions.
Potential Economic Game Changers
Interviewees expressed strong interest in three
potential catalytic opportunities, including:
• Further development of the North
Industrial Park with warehousing,
distribution, manufacturing, and
research and development
• The proposed High Desert Corridor high-speed rail connection between Apple Valley and Las Vegas
• Expansion of airport utilization, including opportunities to attract regional air service Several leaders view these opportunities as potential drivers of significant economic growth, connectivity, and regional relevance.
6 CONSTRAINTS AND CONSIDERATIONS
While optimistic about the future, interviewees also identified important constraints that the Town must address:
• Balancing growth with preservation of community character • Resident support for change, especially among long-time residents • Revenue limitations, even with Measure P, relative to infrastructure needs • Community expectations for visible improvements and services • Rising costs, particularly in public safety, capital projects, and infrastructure maintenance • Infrastructure capacity for new development (energy, water, sewer) and conflicts/litigation with utility providers
• State of California laws/rules negatively impacting Town development, resident economic vitality, and revenue
The following were the most significant considerations mentioned.
Shared Aspiration
Apple Valley can become the premier high desert
community to live, work, and play—where residents can
access jobs, amenities, and opportunities close to home.
Growth Brings Both Opportunity and Tension
Participants clearly recognized that growth presents both opportunities and challenges. While there is interest among Apple Valley residents in economic development, job creation, and expanded amenities, concerns remain about:
• Preserving community character
• Managing development thoughtfully
• Ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth
• Managing perceptions that growth equates to increased crime and decreased safety Key Insight: Balancing growth with preservation of community identity was a key theme throughout all interviews and will be a central tension explored in community engagement.
Measure P Creates New Opportunity—and Expectations
Interviewees widely recognized Measure P as a significant shift in the Town’s financial capacity. It creates:
• Greater ability to invest in priority services
• Opportunity to address long-standing needs
• Increased community expectations for visible results
Key Insight: Measure P presents both an opportunity to align resources with clearly defined priorities and a responsibility to educate the community on limitations and constraints to avoid setting false expectations.
Expectations around Measure P underscore the importance of prioritization, disciplined implementation, tangible and measurable results, and consistent, clear communication with the community.
7 HOW INTERVIEW INSIGHTS WILL INFORM
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING
The interview insights provide important guidance for the next phases of work.
Community Engagement Considerations
Insights from leadership interviews will directly shape the design and focus of community engagement efforts, testing, and refining themes to ensure alignment between leadership perspectives and broader community views.
We will design community engagement to:
• Share progress to date, emphasizing accomplishments as a starting point for the future • Explore community identity and future direction
o What residents value most about Apple Valley today
o What they want the community to become in the future
• Validate and build on leadership perspectives and priorities • Explore tradeoffs and priorities—not just preferences • Help residents understand the connection between growth, revenue, and services • Ensure diverse perspectives are included, including different age groups, tenure in the community, and stakeholders
• Elevate the conversation from “what we want” to “who we want to be” Key Question for the Community: How can Apple Valley grow in a way that enhances opportunity while preserving the character and quality of life residents value most? Strategic Planning Considerations
The interview findings will play a critical role in shaping the new Strategic Plan, including informing the development of a focused set of strategic priority areas aligned with community values and organizational capacity.
Interview results may also help guide strategy execution once a new strategy is published.
Several participants noted that while the Town made considerable progress under Vision 2020, there is an opportunity to:
• Regularly communicate the top strategic goals (through posters, meetings, reports)
• Cascade goals to departments through action planning
• Strengthen alignment of department initiatives and
long-term plans to strategic goals
• Clarify accountability and responsibility for
implementation
• Improve reporting and communication of goals and
progress
The interviews highlight the need for a strategic plan that is not only visionary, but executable. The following should be considered in development and execution of a new strategic plan.
1. Focus and Clarity
Define a limited number (3–5) of clear, outcome-driven strategic priorities.
2. Alignment of Strategy and Resources
Ensure long- and medium-term strategic priorities are supported through annual planning and investments, considering financial capacity, including Measure P and other funding sources.
3. Strategy Execution and Performance Management
Re-establish and strengthen the systems needed to implement and sustain the strategy over time.
This includes:
• Clear governance structures
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Performance measures and reporting
Critical Success Factor
To achieve its vision, Apple Valley
will need to embed strategy
execution and performance
management into daily
operations—ensuring progress is
sustained regardless of changes in
leadership or staffing.
• Regular review and accountability processes
Importantly, these systems should be embedded in the Town’s operations in a way that is resilient to changes in leadership or staffing.
4. Communication and Transparency
Strengthen how progress is reported to leadership and the Town Council and then communicate to the community to build trust and maintain alignment.
Key Consideration
A successful strategy will not only define where the Town is going—it will establish how progress is managed, measured, and sustained over time.
8 NEXT STEPS
• Integrate interview insights with document review findings • Launch community survey and targeted engagement (focus groups, tabling events) • Conduct community-wide town hall
• Synthesize community input
• Work with leadership and Town Council to refine strategic priorities • Develop draft Strategic Plan