From the Mayor’s Desk

When Diane Brooks Dixon was in junior high school, she and her parents attended a campaign event for Richard Nixon’s 1960 presidential run. Nixon’s wife, Pat, gave Dixon a hug and pinned a carnation to her sweater. It was a seminal moment that spurred her interest in politics and public affairs.

“I was going to be president when I grew up,” recalled Dixon, who now serves as mayor of Newport Beach, Calif.

As a girl growing up near Phoenix, Ariz., Dixon spent a lot of time going to political events. She was the daughter of journalists — her father was a prominent newspaper publisher in the region and her mother a managing editor — so local and state politics was a regular topic of conversation around the dinner table.

“I was always involved in school government activities,” Dixon said. Around the same time as the Nixon campaign event, she learned the term political science — and knew that it would be her major when she attended college.

Dixon started her freshman year at USC in Fall 1969. It was a politically charged time. The Vietnam War had been going on for several years. The Civil Rights Movement was fresh in people’s minds.

“A different kind of political engagement was evolving,” said Dixon, who earned her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1973. “All of this was happening while I was a student, so politics was really at the forefront of our lives on campus.”

During her time at USC Dornsife, Dixon absorbed everything that she could about politics. She was inspired by her professors — “every one of them was really good,” she noted — including political science faculty members William Lammers, Totton James Anderson, Carl Christol, Larry Berg and Judith Stiehm.

Dixon aspired to intern in Congress. The summer before her junior year, she set out to make her dream a reality.

“I remember sitting in my room typing letters on a typewriter to everyone I could think of in Washington, up to the White House,” Dixon said. “One of my letters got to the right people and I was offered an unpaid internship working with the House Republican Conference Committee.”

Although politics remained at the forefront of Dixon’s interests — she worked on a variety of local and state political campaigns throughout college — her own entrée into the world of politics didn’t begin until almost four decades after she earned her degree.

Dixon spent more than 30 years working in the corporate world, most recently as a senior executive in global strategic communications and government relations with Fortune 300 company Avery Dennison. She credits her corporate experience with setting the stage for her foray into local politics.

“My business experience really grounded me in solving problems and working with people,” Dixon said. “In business, you have to bring people together if you want to sell an idea or get funding within a corporation.”

In a chartered city such as Newport Beach, for example, things don’t get done without a majority vote on a particular issue, she said. “That means working with people and making your case. I say this often, whether it’s to a nonprofit that wants funding or to an organization or to a resident: Make your case. Be your best advocate.”

In 2014, Dixon was seated on the City Council in Newport Beach — a tony coastal town of about 87,000 residents situated in Orange County between Los Angeles and San Diego — with a platform of fiscal responsibility, transparency and listening to residents. Almost immediately, councilmembers appointed her mayor pro tem. In December 2015, she became mayor.

During her campaign, Dixon walked through much of Newport Beach speaking with residents. “It’s a fantastic community and the people care deeply about their neighbors and their quality of life,” Dixon said.

She learned that people were concerned about issues that might affect the value of their property. “From one end of the city to the other people believe that their property is their most important asset,” she explained. Above all, they wanted a council representative who would listen to them about issues important to them and the quality of life in their neighborhood. So once in office, Dixon instituted monthly town halls for residents to bring up concerns they had about their city and the way it is run.

At Dixon’s first town hall, people filled the room, spilling into the aisles.

“It was standing room only,” she said. “People were upset about one thing or another, but then we had our staff there, listening to them.” City employees were on hand to answer questions.

“Now, 18 months later, we’re still holding town halls, but attendance has dropped. Of course, there are still issues, but we’re seeing the overall temperature on hot-button issues decline by allowing open conversation and listening to the debate. It’s a really wonderful example of the power of communication.”

Dixon is committed to keeping the lines of communication open with residents. She’s also hoping to share what she’s learned about leadership with her constituents, particularly women.

Along with others in city government and city services, Dixon developed the Women in Newport Networking Forum, which encourages Newport Beach women to serve with local civic and community groups. Dixon’s key message to women who aspire to serve in local government but who may need some encouragement is the same she has for community groups and residents who are looking for support from the city.

“I tell them, ‘You are your best advocate. Tell your story.’ In life you can’t wait for the phone to ring, whether it’s for a new job or a new opportunity. Be proactive and define yourself.”

She also offers the lessons she’s personally learned while in office. “I’ve learned to trust my judgment, to stay true to my principles, to be honest and transparent, to listen to others, to tell it like it is and to ask questions — always ask ‘Why?’

“That’s my lesson in life, not just politics,” Dixon said. “‘Why did something happen? Why does it cost this much? Why do we do it this way?’ I would say while I was running for office, ‘If it ain’t broke, look again.’ There’s always a way to make something more efficient and cost less.”

Dixon credits her time at USC Dornsife with shaping who she has become.

“My USC experience helped make me who I am today,” Dixon said. “It prepared me for my career, and I am grateful for that.”

Read more stories from USC Dornsife Magazine’s Fall 2016-Spring 2017 issue >>