The link is dead. Do we have any other confirmation?

by BeyondDC on May 13, 2011 1:52 pm  

Twitter is wonky today. It must be the Cheh hearings.

by Andrew on May 13, 2011 1:55 pm  

This is what happens when bloggers meet people in person (see Catoe departure).

by Michael Perkins on May 13, 2011 2:36 pm  

I have removed a comment by HogWash which used namecalling. Please be respectful toward others in this forum.

by David Alpert on May 13, 2011 2:49 pm  

I think greent was just riffing off HogWash's namecalling but I have removed greent's comment also for perpetuating namecalling.

Serious and respectful comments on Ms. Ricks' and Ms. Treat's service to DDOT are welcome, but please stay away from all namecalling-type comments toward them, other DDOT employees, the Mayor, residents, GGW commenters, or anyone else.

by David Alpert on May 13, 2011 2:52 pm  

@HogWash
Karina was in the DC government long before Fenty and Klein. She started at OP working on the Great Streets program. I think the expression of dissatisfaction was in response to a question from a reporter, and I can say from working with Karina she's quite humble and your characterization of her is very wrong.

by urbanette on May 13, 2011 2:55 pm  

Out of fairness to Ricks, I feel I should expand upon what she said to me. She was referring to the lack of a permanent director at DDOT. As you are all aware, Mayor Gray still has not put forth a nomination for a permanent DDOT director. Ricks said this has left many career employees feeling as if they are in a sort of "purgatory."

However...

Ricks made it abundantly clear that she is very proud of all that DDOT has accomplished in the past ten years. She also had nothing but complimentary things to say about everyone still working there, including and especially interim director Terry Bellamy. She says the main reason she is resigning is to spend more time with her family.

by David Schultz on May 13, 2011 3:08 pm  

Well ... it's probably safe to call them anti's ... everyone is anti someone else's position at some point in time ...

Let's see ... promoter of Great Streets ... Did that make her Anti-half streets? (have streets are those named streets that got stuck in after the fact between the lettered and numbered streets in the L'Enfant city.)

by Lance on May 13, 2011 3:37 pm  

"I think greent was just riffing off HogWash's namecalling but I have removed greent's comment also for perpetuating namecalling. "

Well, at least my riffing sarcasm was properly noted. Good catch Mr. Alpert.

by greent on May 13, 2011 3:44 pm  

Ricks said this has left many career employees feeling as if they are in a sort of "purgatory."

I've heard this before and for the life of me can't understand it. In the private sector it's quite common for directors and other heads to change regularly and for those at the front line just to go on with their work ... and not feel any different. Nothing changes short term ... and usually not even long term. The system is what prevails ... and works. So when I hear DC employees talking about being 'in purgatory' because of the uncertainty of who their boss is, that indicates to me that these divisions and departments aren't organizationally functional. They're operating purely on a daily basis based on very specific instructions from a division or department head who's too busy fighting fires to do what they're supposed to be doing ... and that is setting strategic direction and policy. Or, is it just that they're not capable of setting strategic direction and policy, and make themselves feel valuable by 'getting out there and making the decisions ... at the front line' ? .... Either way, an organization which can't function without a permanent director in place isn't functioning. It's fighting fires.

by Lance on May 13, 2011 3:45 pm  

Ok I'm a bit confused here.

I made a comment about someone who was mentioned in someone else's reporting. And that is in violation of GGW policy?

I thought that you couldn't make ad hominem attacks about people who contributes to the discussion here...not someone mentioned in someone else's reporting.

Well ok. I'll be sure to remember this the next time I see another negative attack against Marion Barry - who has never contributed to the discussion..but is often the "victim" of GGW namecalling. And here I was thinking that nimwit wasn't even a word..much like NIMBY.

Besides, maybe it's not a good idea to immediately post what you hear w/o the appropriate context. Here, seems like the desire to post her "dissatisfaction" w/this administration followed by the announcement that she's moving to Chi-town, was an example of throwing the cart before the horse.

by HogWash on May 13, 2011 3:57 pm  

HogWash: Namecalling is not appropriate in any event. Also, Karina Ricks is not moving to Chicago; that's Treat.

by David Alpert on May 13, 2011 3:59 pm  

And for my future reference,

If there is a GGW post linking to an article about (not by), let's say, Donald Trump or Newt Gingrich or Sullaimon Brown or Ron Moten or Marion Barry for that matter, it will be against policy to call them nimwits or idiots?

Since that is essentially what happened here w/Ricks.

Thanks for the clarification in advance.

by HogWash on May 13, 2011 4:04 pm  

@Lance

You seriously can't understand how a business/agency can feel like it's in a state of purgatory when there's no leader around for 5 months?

I have been in private-sector positions where the leadership/vision position goes unfilled for months at a time. Things run normally for a while because you can continue doing your job and finding new projects, but eventually the lack of "big vision" and leadership/driving force starts to become apparent. I think that is what she is talking about.

by MLD on May 13, 2011 4:06 pm  

HogWash: Yes, that is the policy, and I will try my best to enforce it, even when we're talking about Marion Barry or Donald Trump.

by David Alpert on May 13, 2011 4:09 pm  

Thanks David. That's good to know and of course, I'll be here to remind you. :)

No more NIMBY namecalling references?

Hey works for me!

by HogWash on May 13, 2011 4:16 pm  

Treat not Ricks: That was very dumb of me. Should take my own advice and read before commenting.

Can I say that about myself?

:)

by HogWash on May 13, 2011 4:59 pm  

In the private sector it's quite common for directors and other heads to change regularly and for those at the front line just to go on with their work...

Right, but you're keen enough to realize that public departments run by political appointees are not "the private sector". They're supposed to reflect the policies supported during the last election. So while Chik-Fil-A can putter along on auto-pilot--our policy on waffle-fries is the same this year as last--the same is less true for political positions.

DDOT is, especially, one of those departments susceptible to political changes of direction.

by oboe on May 13, 2011 5:23 pm  

@Oboe DDOT is, especially, one of those departments susceptible to political changes of direction.

At first I was tempted to say 'oh, okay. now I understand.' But then I thought about it ... isn't probably something like 95% of what DDOT does the same year in and year out? I mean their primary responsibility is supposed to be tending to the roads and sidewalks, traffic light, and stuff like that. Yes, it's true that they got sidetracked a bit under Fenty, and some of the basic nuts and bolts stuff suffered accordingly. But now that we're back to a normal state, you'd think they'd be thrilled to be able to get back to business and do their jobs. Unless of course they didn't consider doing the nuts and bolts of the job ... their job. And while I can understand someone like Ricks (who would have worked right under the DDOT director) feeling not guided, I don't buy how "many career employees feeling as if they are in a sort of "purgatory." ... Don't they still have the nuts and bolts, i.e, the 95% of what they're responsible for doing, left to do?

I do agree though that unless Gray is planning to make the interim director the permanent director, he needs to get going on this ... This was what I feared might happen when I saw all the Fenty-forces bearing down on him ... and diverting his attention from important things ... to have to deal with matters that in the scheme of things aren't going to affect us as much as inattendence to the important things will.

So, yes, I see where if Ricks boss is being inattentive for 5 months she might get frustrated. Of course, that does bring up the question 'What IS the interim Director (Belamy I think?) doing?

by Lance on May 13, 2011 6:53 pm  

At first I was tempted to say 'oh, okay. now I understand.' But then I thought about it ... isn't probably something like 95% of what DDOT does the same year in and year out?

Right, but it's the 5% that makes the difference. Most of DOJ isn't Civil Rights, but there's a big difference between a, say, the Bush and the Obama DOJ's. Specifically, the difference between a DOJ that feels the disenfranchisement of African Americans is a problem versus one that feels the disenfranchisement of white folks *by* African Americans is a problem.

In other words, 5% isn't trivial in this instance.

by oboe on May 14, 2011 9:09 pm  

@Oboe, My point is that for 95% of the people working there (or whatever large percentage of employees it takes to do that share of the work), the presence or lack of a fully appointed director shouldn't make difference. Yet "Ricks said this has left many career employees feeling as if they are in a sort of "purgatory."" Unless all career employees are doing that 5% of the work, there's still the problem of trying to understand why the average employee would feel that way ... Unless the Director really is getting into the weeds on questions such as 'which roads to repave this month', 'the timing on a traffic light at a specific intersection which some person complained about" ... etc. I.e., fighting fires because the system isn't functioning. Read some of the issues Klein fielded when he was on here last year and you'll see that it is very likely that the Director is having to involve him/herself in matters that they shouldn't have to worry about ... if the organization was functional.

by Lance on May 14, 2011 9:24 pm  

Its very simple, really. An AD cannot be proactive without political backing. Karina was head of PPSA, the policy and planning</> department.
Her departure- especially on the heals of klein's departure and the continuing lack of a politically-appointed director- is a damning indictment of this administration's lack of direction.

by Drez on May 15, 2011 11:43 am  

If a director cannot lead, leaving is the best choice.

It's time for new people at the helm.

by mario on May 18, 2011 8:39 am  

As someone who has worked closely with Karina Ricks over the years, I wanted people to know what an outstanding job she has done. She started working for the city on a special assignment from the EPA Smart Growth program in early 2000s. She worked as a special staffer on Transit-Oriented Development for OP director Andy Altman. She moved to DDOT to work for Dan Tangherlini, managed Great Streets, and was the Ward 6 Planner. Eventually, she took Ken Laden's position leading the planning section after he retired. In many ways she was one of the key agency managers leading the transition from old thinking to new, helping the agency heads guide staff to new priorities. The job has required many nights and weekends. She now has two small children. Her dedicated service and long hours are greatly appreciated. The city is much better off due to her efforts. She'll be sorely missed.

by Cheryl Cort on May 18, 2011 2:56 pm  

@Lance : You are really trivializing DDOT as a whole. What you are describing is Asset Managment which includes milling and repaving, sidewalk replacement, pothole repairs, bridge maintenance etc. DDOT has 100's of millions of dollars of other projects; Great Streets, Streetcar, 11th street bridge etc.

The director does have a great deal in deciding what streets get repaved next. District residents are very vocal, and with resources at a premium in todays economy, it's a delicate dance to select which improvements to implement. You repave a street in ward 8, and ward 2 residents feel slighted. There's one pot of money, and you have to make everyone happy at the same time.

Ms. Ricks's position is even more political. She is committing resources to start planning projects that may take 5-10 years to come to fruition. How do you start planning when two different directors may have 2 different sets of goals. She has spent the last 2 years with bike lanes on the brain, now what happens?

And make no mistake, DC residents will call the Director, and even the mayor, if they wait for too long at a light.

I'll keep silent on your opinions regarding how the city operates, because as you can problably tell, I'm pretty close to the situation

by Larry on May 19, 2011 6:06 am