Rick Chaffin was named Deputy City Manager in December 2006. He oversees the Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces and Development Services departments. Chaffin currently leads the McKinney Green initiative, a city-wide program incorporating the future of McKinney’s conservation efforts and sustainable practices.

Immediately prior to his move to McKinney, Rick served as City Manager in Roswell, Georgia, a large northern Atlanta suburb. His diverse background also includes positions in local government as a budget analyst, parks and recreation coordinator and assistant city manager.

Rick is originally from Virginia. He served four years in the U.S. Army and as an intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from The University of Texas/Tyler and a Masters in Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech. Rick is married to Lisa and they have two young daughters, Taylor and Lauren.

Jim Parrish began his tenure as the Deputy City Manager in McKinney on March 12, 2009.

Jim was formerly the Director of Human Resources in Amarillo, Texas. He leads the Information Technology, Finance, Human Resources, Library and City Secretary departments in McKinney.

During his 22-year tenure in Amarillo, Jim has served in both Director and Assistant Director roles for HR, as well as several positions in the Finance Department. He has supervised multiple departments, including Information Technology, Risk Management, Finance and Accounting. Jim had many successes throughout his time in Amarillo, including designing and implementing a benefit program that included the opening of a city clinic to provide primary care for city employees.

Jim earned an MBA from West Texas A&M University and has been active on the state and national level on issues affecting Texas cities throughout his career.

Aretha Harvey is the Assistant to the City Manager, a position she has held since July 2009. Aretha’s role in the City Manager’s office is varied, but primarily includes responsibilities for managing special projects and complex administrative functions across the organization as directed by the City Manager.

Previous to this position, Aretha was an ICMA Local Government Management Fellow during which time she worked as a Management Analyst for the City of Fremont, California where she managed the overhaul of the City’s administrative regulations system, led an emerging technologies task force, and worked on various components of the budget. Her other local government experience includes positions as legislative and budget analysts in Washington, DC and Tallahassee, FL respectively.

Aretha earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida A&M University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from American University’s School of Public Affairs in Washington, DC.

Aretha is also a graduate of Leadership McKinney, and her professional involvement includes memberships with the International City County Management Association, National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and the Texas City Management Association.