Meet Dan
I am a product of the Manchester public school system that my twins Ella and Emmett attend today. I spent my career protecting Manchester and its residents, and I’m passionate about seeing our city continue down its current path of innovation and adaptation.
Lifelong Manchester Resident
About Dan
Dan was born in Manchester to Judy (née Jaroma) and the late Alderman Dan Goonan, Sr., a retired police officer for the Manchester Police Department. Dan played football, basketball, and baseball at Memorial, eventually enrolling at UMass Lowell and graduating from Granite State College with a Bachelors in Public Safety Administration.
In 1984, Dan joined the Manchester Fire Department. Dan married his wife Denise in 2005 and they have two twins, Ella and Emmett, who are in the 6th grade at McLaughlin. Dan’s oldest daughter, Emily, is a dental hygienist and lives in Manchester. Denise is a nurse practitioner at the VA in Manchester.
After decades of hard work and climbing the ranks, Dan was appointed Chief of the Manchester Fire Department by Mayor Gatsas in 2016. Dan managed a $20 million budget and served as a city leader during multiple public health and safety ordeals. Now retired, Dan works part-time at the Auburn Police Department.
Dan continues to serve on several national, regional, and local boards concerning addiction, mental health and helping at-risk youth. He has spoken throughout the country on issues of substance use disorder, mental health, homelessness, public safety, and related problems. In his free time, Dan coaches little league at Cal Ripken.