For Leggett, Shaping New Administration
Activists, Politicians on Transition Team

By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 16, 2006

Isiah "Ike" Leggett, Montgomery County's first new chief executive in 12 years, enlisted the help of dozens of community leaders this week to convert 30-second political sound bites into policy as he begins to shape his administration before taking office next month.

Standing before his 100-plus-person transition team in an old chapel at the Bolger Center in Potomac, Leggett (D) encouraged the audience to "tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear."

A centerpiece of Leggett's campaign was his pledge to "slow down" development to "catch up" on overdue infrastructure projects such as road and school construction. In the course of three meetings over three weeks this month, Leggett is searching for suggestions in seven policy areas -- from housing to education to public safety -- that he said would serve as guiding principles throughout his four-year term that begins Dec. 4.

"I'm not looking for quick-fix solutions," he said. "I'm looking for real, long-term solutions that work."

The transition from outgoing County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) to Leggett is being led by two veterans of the campaign: chairman Lawrence Rosenblum, an accountant and former Chamber of Commerce president who served as Leggett's treasurer, and vice chairman Jennifer Hughes, a former policy analyst for the County Council and campaign adviser. The team includes past and present county political leaders, environmentalists, developers and housing and community activists.

Leggett's decision to assemble such a large transition team, in addition to holding a series of town hall meetings, underscores what he intends to be a collaborative approach to governing.

Joining the discussion this week was Bill Hudnut, a former mayor of Indianapolis and the town of Chevy Chase, who praised Leggett for his "attitude of openness" and offered some unsolicited advice to the incoming leader.

"Anybody taking charge has to be willing to take the heat, because not everyone is going to agree with you," Hudnut said.

On a separate track, Leggett has convened a smaller advisory panel that will guide him as he evaluates the 23 agency and department directors who serve at the discretion of the county executive. The day after the election, Leggett sent letters to department heads, asking them to detail in writing their qualifications, ambitions and how they would envision fitting into his administration. The team was set to begin interviews this week.

Even before the process started, Leggett -- a Howard University law professor and a former council member -- announced that council spokesman Patrick Lacefield would take charge of communications for the county as director of the Office of Public Information.

At the gathering Tuesday morning over bagels and coffee, former County Council member Bruce Adams kicked off the first brainstorming session, which he said he hoped would produce four or five policy ideas in each of the following seven categories:

· Accountable government and responsive service delivery.

· Safe streets and secure neighborhoods.

· Healthy and sustainable communities.

· Keeping Montgomery moving.

· Preparing children to learn and live.

· Ensuring vital living for all residents.

· Expanding affordable housing.

Before the brainstorming began, a panel of experts, including Hudnut and Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson, presented the economic, social and political challenges facing the county as its population approaches 1 million people.

At the end, Adams sought to temper expectations for the exercise.

"Will we reach closure and come up with Ike's legacy in 20 days? Most certainly not," he said. "This is a starting point."

With that, the meeting was closed to the press, and small groups of transition team members huddled around seven easels to being swapping ideas that will shape Leggett's agenda.