Dan Lindheim is an economist, planner, software developer, and attorney. Dan has taught at GSPP since 2014. He previously was Oakland's City Administrator (city manager). In prior careers, Dan was a World Bank economist; a senior advisor to Congressman Ron Dellums and to the House of Representatives Armed Services and District Committees. Dan also spent over a decade in the private sector as President and CEO of two leading high tech software companies in the professional video, computer graphics, and scientific visualization markets. Early in his professional life, Dan headed a multi-province regional development office for the Chilean Ministry of Housing and taught at the University of Chile. Dan was also a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Services Research and Development.
Active in the local community, Dan was recently a member of Berkeley's Reimagining Public Safety Task Force and chaired the Mayor’s Budget Transparency Committee. He was the long-time Chair of the Planning and Oversight Committee for the Berkeley school district, and served/chaired the Audit Committees for the Berkeley and Oakland school districts. Dan was co-chair of two successful school parcel tax campaigns in Berkeley, was a Board member of the Berkeley Community Fund, and was Chair of the Education Committee and Foreman pro tem of the Alameda County Grand Jury. In addition, Dan has served on many other boards and commissions including Berkeley's Planning Commission, its Budget Committee, and chaired its Peace and Justice Commission. Finally, Dan was a state champion youth soccer coach, played tennis for Cal, and as a union electrician installed every speaker in the Oakland Coliseum.
Dan has a PhD in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley, a law degree from Georgetown, and is a member of the California Bar. Dan also has a BA in economics and masters degrees in city planning and public health, all from UC Berkeley.