About David Cameron:
David Cameron has served as the City Administrator for the City of Republic, Missouri, since July 2016, leading one of the fastest-growing communities in the state. Under David’s leadership and that of his team, Republic has experienced a remarkable resurgence, earning recognition as a regional leader in customer service, improved development processes, streamlined permitting timelines, and organizational culture transformation.
David’s faith in Jesus Christ is central to his life and leadership. He was blessed with a mother who taught him the Word of God at an early age, instilling in him the importance of God’s grace and the understanding that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned but comes through being clothed in Christ’s righteousness. A verse that guides his personal and professional life is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This, along with Psalms 23 and John 3:16 are foundational to his approach to both challenges and opportunities.
David began his career over 31 years ago in public works, never setting out to pursue public administration or following the traditional educational path toward it. Instead, his hands-on experience and practical business approach shaped his unique leadership style, emphasizing setting expectations, team-building, alignment, challenging the status quo, and bold leadership with a tenacious focus on service delivery.
A native of Miller, Missouri, David returned to his roots after spending sixteen years in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where he also served as City Administrator. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from John Brown University in Siloam Springs.
David is passionate about disruptive leadership and challenging the norms of government bureaucracy. He focuses on fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, bridging relationships between government and the development community, advancing infrastructure deployment, driving economic development, and ensuring environmental compliance. His commitment to change and results has earned him widespread recognition, including being named one of 417 Magazine’s “10 For the Next 10” leaders to watch in 2021 and appearing on Biz 417’s Top 100 leaders list for four consecutive years.
In 2022, David founded Disruptive Leadership, LLC, a consulting company providing coaching, public speaking, and local government consulting to private and government entities. Through this venture, he shares his expertise to help organizations embrace change and achieve exceptional outcomes.
Outside of his professional life, David is an avid golfer who believes his game will improve as he ages and moves to the senior tees. He strongly advocates for work-life balance and has championed programs that enable employees to take extended breaks and recharge.
David takes great pride in his family, often bragging about his three adult children and doting on his granddaughter. Although born and raised in Missouri, he remains a loyal Arkansas Razorback fan.