Bob’s Update – A Conversation with our next Administrator … Verna McDaniel

Why do you want to be Administrator?

Honestly, I love the County. We have built a great organization setting the standard for what other Counties hope to be. We’re one of the stellar counties in the State of Michigan, in the Country for that matter and I’m challenged to make this great organization even better. 

When you think about your long range goals tell me what success will look like to you?

I want to make a significant impact in our community. Washtenaw County is a great place to work, and an even better place to live. And while these economic times have been challenging I believe they will make this community better. Over the years, the Board of Commissioners and the Administrator have supported initiatives like our partnership with Ann Arbor SPARK , Ann Arbor Success, Eastern Leaders Group, Aerotropolis and collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor and other local municipalities – all aimed at spurring job creation, business development, economic growth and efficiencies in local government.  These initiatives are critical to making this community a better place to live and work and I plan to support them going forward.

How long do you hope to be County Administrator?

As long as I can be effective and as long as the Board, the organization and the community will have me. I’ve been with the County for 28 years and feel like I’ve got quite a few good years ahead of me.

What have you done in your role as deputy that will help you more easily transition into the role of Administrator?

I’ve forged a lot of key relationships in the organization with commissioners, the elected officials and department heads. These relationships will be critical as I tackle the tremendous amount of work ahead. Years ago, you told me that the only way you can get things done is by working with others and I believe it.

What do you plan to do with the Deputy position?

If I’m going to be successful in the role as County Administrator there’s no doubt that I will need a strong Deputy. So, I plan to post the position right away. I’m confident that we have great talent locally, meaning in the State of Michigan. I also know there are several qualified internal candidates, so I think we will have a great pool to select from.  I will assemble an interview committee and narrow the applicants down to 3-5 candidates.  Once the final candidate has been identified I will ask the Board to confirm my choice. This will be an open process - there are no preconceived candidates.  I hope to hire the new Deputy by the end of February or early March so that they can begin working with us through the transition.

Over the next year, there will be a lot of turnover in key leadership positions how will you manage this?

It’s really important to pick the right team. In terms of the key staff positions, the Finance Director position has been posted for several weeks and now – the filing deadline is February 24, 2010. We need to narrow the applicants down to a few key candidates to be interviewed. The ETCS Director position is still under review. We have a lot of opportunities here and want to make sure we are considering all the possibilities especially as they relate to collaboration, so this will take some time.  I’m looking forward to working with the key stakeholders and will provide recommendations to the Board that supports the Board of Commissioners’ priorities.

It’s assumed that 2012/2013 will be worse than 2010/2011 how will you tackle that budget?

For 2010/11 we came together under your leadership and resolved a 30 million budget deficit. We have done a lot of work already giving us an opportunity to do some important and critical planning this year which is already underway. The 2010/11 budget was really difficult because we didn’t have time to plan – we had to react. We have time to plan for 2012/13, so we can be more proactive.

Bob, you’ve assembled a planning group that is beginning to look at these issues. I’m on that team, along with a broad representation of leaders from across the organization. That team will serve to advise administration on major initiatives that we’ve already identified and to look ahead to 2011 – the year that we’ll spend developing the 2012/2013 budget.  The Board of Commissioners has a seperate, but parallel process which will be aligned with the work of this group.

When will you officially become Administrator?

Monday, May 17^th

What are your plans in the first 100 days, first year and next five years?

During my interview I identified a number of goals that I will accomplish in my first 100 days, first year and in the next five years. The interview is available online. As well as the presentation that I gave during  the interview.

What is your vision for this organization when you become Administrator?

To more closely align our organizational structure with the community’s needs and expectations, while managing the limited resources that we are likely to experience over the next decade focusing on opportunities to collaborate and cooperate with those in the public and private sector.

How did you feel when the Board unanimously voted to appoint you as Administrator?

Extremely relieved. Serving as County Administrator is truly an honor and I’m looking forward to it.