We recently had the chance to connect with Dr Philip Harris and have shared our conversation below.
Philip, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Yes because I’m an empathetic, results-driven leader, who helps people and businesses thrive.
I would hire someone like me because I pair servant leadership with tangible results for residents and the business community of Greenacres.
Specifically, I listen first and act quickly. I build trust with small businesses and community partners, then turn their feedback into action. I deliver on outcomes by securing partnerships and funding, standing up programs, and streamlining processes, so businesses can start or expand. All of this requires collaboration across sectors, so my day includes connecting city departments, nonprofits, and private partners and moving projects from idea to impact.
I try to remain data-informed by setting clear goals, tracking metrics, and adjusting quickly to what works. With regard to developing people, I coach teams, elevate others, and keep stakeholders aligned through clear, timely communication. And finally, what I consider to be the most important, I’m proud to lead with integrity and equity, and I make decisions that are transparent, fair, and community-centered.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As the new director of economic development, I am focused on building inclusive economic growth in Greenacres, FL. I connect small businesses, City Hall, and community partners to unlock funding, cut through red tape, and create opportunity.
Currently, I’m leading a new “Dine Local. Savor Greenacres.” social media campaign that spotlights our many family-run restaurants. I’m also working on cultivating training and development of our growing workforce, conducting a hotel feasibility effort to bring smart investment and jobs to the city, and pouring into our Sister City partnerships to expand global ties.
To celebrate the city’s amazing multiculturalism, I am spearheading heritage festivals, like “Sunday Sounds: Sabor y Éxito,” which the City is holding on September 28, 2025, which also drives commerce. My personal brand is simple: Listen first, act fast, and deliver results with empathy. I bring 20-plus years in public administration, coalition building, and grants strategy, turning community ideas into funded projects that create jobs and improve real people’s quality of life.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Finishing my dissertation in September 2014 on how corporate social responsibility, especially workplace volunteer programs, shapes employee morale.
What changed in me was sitting with business owners and senior managers and coding their stories into themes, I saw that corporate social responsibility isn’t a side project; it’s a people strategy. When companies create real avenues for employees to serve their communities, morale rises, loyalty deepens, skills grow, and the business earns trust. Later research keeps confirming that well-designed volunteering links to higher engagement and loyalty, lower turnover, and better well-being, which is exactly what I heard from those owners and managers more than a decade ago.
I build programs that create shared value, measurable benefits for residents and employees, pairing empathy with data, and making “doing good” part of how we work, not just what we say.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In practice, ‘suffering’ reshaped my leadership. I design programs with dignity at the center, measure what matters most to people, and build partnerships that share credit and spread opportunity. Success taught me how to win; suffering taught me how to serve. This question made me really think about what suffering gave me:
Humility. I’m not self-made; I’m community-made. Asking for help is strength, not failure.
Empathy. Pain gives you a map to other people’s pain. I listen longer and no longer rush to judgment.
Resilience. Grit isn’t loud. It’s showing up again tomorrow, even when today hurt.
Clarity. Hard seasons strip away the extra and reveal what actually matters, which is relationships, purpose, and integrity.
Patience. Real change takes time. Progress beats perfection.
Boundaries. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Rest is part of the work.
Gratitude. Small wins become big blessings when you’ve gone without.
Compassionate accountability. Hold a high bar, offer a hand up.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Dignity, no exceptions. That’s the cultural value I protect at all costs. If people don’t feel seen, respected, and safe to contribute, nothing else you do, as leader, sticks.
Protecting dignity changes decisions. We slow down to include others, and we choose partners who uplift our residents. We also measure success by how people experience our work, not just by numbers and percentages.
Operating from a place of bestowing dignity unto others is where culture thrives.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
My legacy is turning empathy into systems that outlast me, grounded first in being a husband and father.
Before titles or projects, my leadership starts at home. The way I love, listen, and show up for my family shapes how I serve the public — with patience, accountability, and dignity for every person.
As a husband, father, and public administrator, I’m doing what I was born to do: serve with empathy, build with discipline, and leave communities and my family better than I found them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greenacresfl.gov
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityofgreenacres/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-harris-d-b-a-6909045/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityofGreenacres/
Image Credits
Philip Harris
