Phillip “Phil” Urrutia is a public servant with more than 16 years of leadership experience in municipal government. He currently serves as an Assistant City Manager for the City of Garland, Texas, where he provides executive oversight for nine departments: Customer Service, Fleet, Procurement, Sanitation, Animal Services, Facilities Management, the City Secretary’s Office, Real Estate Management, and Landfill Operations.
Phil plays a key leadership role in advancing organizational effectiveness through process improvement. He has assisted in leading the city's internal Six Sigma Green Belt Academy, a program that supports departmental innovation and efficiency. This initiative is known as the Garland Transformation Office (GTO).
Prior to his service in Garland, Phil held the roles of Deputy City Manager and Assistant City Manager in Odessa, Texas. In Odessa, he led the city's response to critical challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uri. He also spearheaded downtown revitalization efforts, enhanced development services, and oversaw major operational areas including Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Utilities, and Development Services.
Phil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and is a Certified Public Manager through Texas Tech University. He also earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University and is a graduate of the FEMA Professional Development Series for Emergency Management. Phil is a credentialed manager with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and an active member of the Texas City Manager’s Association (TCMA), where he serves on both the Professional Development Committee and the Mental Health Task Force.
A native of West Texas, Phil is passionate about building resilient communities and mentoring the next generation of local government leaders. He is married to Michelle and has one daughter, Chey.
