Biography
The Saylor Family.
From left: son Aaron, wife Julie, Don, and daughter Kate.
Don Saylor serves as Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Davis. He was elected to the Davis City Council in 2004 and 2008 after serving as a Trustee for the Davis Joint Unified School District from 1995 until 2003. In addition to his current service as City of Davis Mayor Pro Tem, Don currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the regional planning agency for the six county Sacramento Metropolitan region.
Don and his family moved to Davis in 1987. He and Julie, his wife of 35 years, raised two children in Davis.
Don earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Wyoming in 1977 and Master in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin in 1979. While a student at the LBJ School, Don served as Research Assistant for former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. His graduate studies focused on economic development and employment and training policies.
Don has had a lifelong commitment to public service. Don's public service career spans 35 years and includes administrative, planning and analytical positions in local government and both the legislative and executive branches of California state government.
Don's public service career began as an intern in the city/county planning department of his hometown in northeastern Wyoming. He also worked as an intern for the City of Boston, Massachusetts Employment and Economic Policy Administration.
He served five years as a Program and Financial Analyst with the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst Office with responsibility to advise the legislature on health care and social services programs.
In addition, he held executive positions under three California governors with responsibilities for managing over $500 million in state capital outlay projects and leadership of 300 employees. His administrative positions included financial management, personnel, training, research, management analysis, strategic planning, and information management. During his state career, Don managed a statewide medical care delivery system, statewide crime victim services program and a statewide juvenile delinquency prevention program. He retired from state service in 2003 as an administrator responsible for education programs in six high schools for incarcerated adolescents.
Prior to his election to the Council, Don was elected to two terms as a School Board Trustee for the Davis Joint Unified School District. He served as a Trustee from 1995 to 2003 and was twice elected by fellow trustees to serve as President of the Board. While a Trustee, Don served as the 8th Assembly District Government Relations Chair for the California School Boards Association. During this tenure on the School Board student achievement in Davis schools ranked among the highest in California.
Don is very active in the League of California Cities. He is a member of Executive Committee of the League of California Cities Mayors and Council Members Department, focused on supporting council members throughout the state in the effective performance of their duties. He was elected by his council colleagues in 58 cities to serve as President of the Sacramento Valley Division of the League of California Cities in 2007 and is currently in his fifth year as a member of the Executive Board of that Division. Don served as a member of the LCC statewide Public Safety Policy Committee in 2005-06.
Don is actively involved in efforts to reform state/local finances and governance. He is a founding member of the Yolo County group, Saving California Communities. Don was appointed to serve as a representative of the League of California Cities as one of 25 council members, county supervisors and school board members in the statewide Cities/Counties/Schools Partnership Fiscal Reform Task Force. He has been active in planning and conducting workshops at both the state and local level focused on state fiscal reform.
Don continues to be active in many local efforts. He is a member of the Yolo Children's Alliance Foundation Board and Policy Council, UC Davis/City of Davis Campus/Community Coalition on Alcohol and other Drugs, Yolo County Climate Action Coalition, Davis Sunrise Rotary Club, Davis Odd Fellows Lodge and the Acme Theater Board of Directors.
Prior to his election to local office, Don served as the PTA President of Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High School, President of the Spanish Immersion Parents Association, Coordinator of the Davis Odyssey of the Mind program, and in numerous other community service leadership roles.
From left: Don, Aaron, Julie, and Kate.