Development
Gray keeps Harriet Tregoning! And others
Mayor-elect Vincent Gray just announced that Harriet Tregoning will remain as Director of the Office of Planning, one of several existing officials to keep their jobs.
Tregoning and former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening. Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.
Gray announced in a statement that he is keeping Tregoning to "make the District of Columbia a more livable, inclusive, globally competitive city," despite efforts by the Committee of 100 and Ward 3's Tom Smith to push her out along with Gabe Klein.
He is also keeping Bill Howland as head of DPW, making this the third consecutive administration in which Howland will have run the department. Nicholas Majett, head of communications and customer service for DCRA, will take over that agency, which should mean that DCRA's first-rate Twittering and other excellent responsiveness will continue or even increase.
Three other Fenty cabinet members are staying in their jobs in today's announcement: Lucinda Babers at the Department of Motor Vehicles, Eric Richardson at the Office of Cable Television, and Soohyun Koo in the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Finally, Gray appointed Roland Ronald Collins to head the Office of Boards and Commissions, which helps the Mayor select appointees for the various boards such as the Zoning Commission, the Historic Preservation Review Board, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and more. The Committee of 100 had been circulating letters asking Gray to appoint Denise Johnson, former member of the Historic Preservation Review Board and a big Gray supporter, to the post, but Gray did not follow their advice.
 | David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington. He has had a lifelong interest in great cities and great communities. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.   |
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by couscous too on Dec 17, 2010 2:00 pm
People move in and out of government jobs all the time. I doubt Karyn LeBlanc leaving is about someone pushing her out either — there's no new DDOT director yet to tell her he/she'd prefer someone else. And she stayed from Emeka Moneme to Gabe Klein.
by David Alpert on Dec 17, 2010 2:14 pm
by Teyo on Dec 17, 2010 2:29 pm
Interesting pick with Ron Collins; he had been telling people he planned to retire.
by Fritz on Dec 17, 2010 4:24 pm
Gray also seems to have a demonstrated record of showing concern for students, from all walks of life, with his Saturday Youth Issues hearings that sadly came to a close last week. Maybe another capable CM will take up where the Chairman left off.
by CCCA Prez on Dec 18, 2010 8:42 am
Ron Collins and Soohyun Koo were both spelled wrong.
His correct name is Ronald R. Collins, not Roland as it is on the Gray Transition press release. Collins was the director of this office under Mayor Williams ( http://newsroom.dc.gov/file.aspx/release/7615/Boards_and_Commissions_Appointments_Process_Overview.pdf )
The Gray Transition also spelled Soohyun Koo's name wrong as well, turning it into "Soohyn"
by dcvoterboy on Dec 18, 2010 10:47 am
David Gragan: probably biggest loss, made city procurement work
Gloria Nauden: made arts cool, and meaningful citywide
Kathy Hollinger: brought big productions to DC
Robin Jasper: tightest city OPM in the country by most standards
Gabe Klein: visionary, put DC on the map nationally in 2 years
Michelle Rhee: national leader
Leila Edmonds: housing advocate for the disadvantaged
Linda Argo: turned around DCRA from worst to one of the best
Chief Rubin: ran tight ship, no big fire failures during his tenure except when no water available
Bryan Sivak: better OCTO chief than Vivek even, setting national trends for innovation in government, apps, data sharing
So if you are too good, you gotta go, or you want to go. Gray didn't even have the character and respect to even talk to any of them.
The top deputies they all brought in got letters from Gray telling them to compete for their jobs, so of course they are leaving. They would be dumb not to. The people they brought in are leaving. Who loses? We all do.
by Mr. Bumsley on Dec 18, 2010 1:48 pm
And there are a lot of good people in the government below cabinet level (and a lot of not so good people). Some of them have gotten other jobs. But it's still a small fraction of the total. There are plenty of good people left. I think we're a long way from saying "if you are good you gotta go."
by David Alpert on Dec 18, 2010 2:11 pm
The city could be facing the same issue the Army is: the loss of the mid-level captains and majors in the bureaucracy who's creativity - and career mobility - are stifled by deadweight at the top. So they resign and leave for the private sector, causing a great loss to the bureaucracy.
I'm surprised that Tregoning agreed to stay, given that she doesn't know who her boss will be as Deputy Mayor for Econ Development and Planning. If we see yet another Pratt Kelly-Barry era retread in that position, I think it's safe to say that Tregoning doesn't last a whole long time and that some of her top people will also leave. Same goes for DDOT, DCRA, etc.
Some of Gray's picks have been astoundingly awful - Crystal Palmer and Cynthia Brock-Smith, I'm looking at you. Some have been interesting, but I don't think will ultimately succeed - Alan Lew, I'm looking your way. Some look like they're a continuation, but will likely wind up being under a far tighter leash that limits their creativity and innovation - Kaya Henderson, Tregoning, and DDOT, I'm talking about you. And some are just plain ol' uninspiring - Bill Howland, I'd like whatever luck charms you have that let you survive 3 different administrations, even though your recycling program is an utter disaster.
I don't expect much from a Gray administration, other than higher taxes, fewer services, and a return to the government-job-as-a-constitutional-entitlement mentality. I almost see it as a last gasp of that generation and their desire to get back the power, influence, and money they lost out on during the Fenty years.
by Fritz on Dec 19, 2010 8:40 am
by Geoffrey Hatchard on Dec 19, 2010 12:36 pm
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