Longtime San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister, 74, who retired in August, died Wednesday from a lingering illness.
No official cause of death has been given, but he was with family and under medical care at the time of his passing, said Lisa MacLarty, communications manager for the treasurer-tax collector's office.
"Dan McAllister was a leader here at the Treasurer-Tax Collector's office for an impressive 23 years — he was not only a mentor, but a real friend to many here," said Larry Cohen, McAllister's successor. "There are employees here who have worked their entire careers with Dan as their boss."
Cohen, who county supervisors selected to fill the remainder of McAllister's term
"He was 41, and I was 23," Cohen said. "He treated everyone with respect even though we were kids."
McAllister was then-San Diego Mayor Susan Golding's director of communications.
It wasn't until Cohen was a manager himself in his 30s and 40s that he said he fully appreciated how kind McAllister was to everyone.
"When I first met him, it had an impact on me," Cohen said.
"Here was a guy who was 41, and he was working for the mayor. He could have stepped on us, but he wasn't that guy," he said.
"He became a role model to me on how you treat people," Cohen said.
McAllister was first elected to the treasurer-tax collector position in 2002 and reelected five more times, most recently in 2022.
Cohen, who had come full circle with his career after working in leadership roles at corporations, was working as Vargas' chief of staff when it was suggested he should throw his hat in the ring for treasurer-tax collector.
Now filling McAllister's shoes, he finds the impression the older man left with him when he was young is how others view him too.
"Now I have been here for a month, everyone has told me that is how this guy treated others," Cohen said.
The treasurer-tax collector's office has taken on a somber tone with news of McAllister's death on everyone's mind.
"It's a really sad time here," said Lisa MacLarty, communications manager for the county's treasurer-tax collector. "Dan was a well-liked/loved boss, who people genuinely cared for and appreciated."
The treasurer-tax collector collects billions of dollars in taxes each year, manages the county's investment pool and administers the county's defined pension contribution program. During McAllister's tenure, the office had a 99% collection rate, according to the office.
McAllister also spearheaded
Prior to his election as treasurer-tax collector, he was a successful financial consultant and investment broker. He was a former chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.
He also has a long history of community service dating to time as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia. He also served as chair of San Diego Unified School District's Special Audit and Finance Committee. He served on the boards of the Jackie Robinson YMCA; Habitat for Humanity, San Diego; and the New Americans Museum, San Diego.
He holds a bachelor's degree from California State University, Fresno in journalism and master's degree in business administration from United States International University.
"This is a big loss, but Dan was an exceptional leader who left a solid infrastructure behind," MacLarty said. "The boat is strong, our new captain is more than fit for the job, we just miss our former leader."
No immediate services are planned, but the family told the treasurer-tax collector's office they will likely plan something for the spring.
