Dayhoff Westminster: Carroll County Promotes Roberta Windham to County Administrator

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Carroll County Promotes Roberta Windham to County Administrator

County Promotes Windham to County Administrator

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2015/03/carroll-county-promotes-roberta-windham.html

Labels: Carroll Co Govt, Carroll Co Govt News, Carroll County

Westminster, Tuesday, March 3, 2015 – The Carroll County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce the promotion of Ms. Roberta Windham, as the Carroll County Administrator. Ms. Windham will assume this new role on Thursday, March 5th.

Ms. Windham earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1983 and earned her Juris Doctorate Degree from University of Baltimore in 1992.

She is a member of the Maryland Bar Association.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to say that we are very pleased to promote Roberta to this new position,” said Commissioner Stephen Wantz. “I have known Roberta for many years and she has always been professional, hardworking and dedicated. She brings extensive knowledge of the workings of county government and will be able to ‘hit the ground running’ in this new role. Roberta’s extensive experience and expertise will be an asset to the county.”

Prior to assuming her responsibilities in the Commissioners’ Office 4 years ago, Ms. Windham managed her own legal practice which focused on Estates and Trusts Law.

She has lived in Eldersburg with her husband, Gary, and 2 daughters, Sarah and Katherine, since 1994.

Please help Carroll County Government welcome Ms. Roberta Windham to this new role.

Related: Chief of staff's budget prowess not total sum of legacy http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-steve-powell-0504-20140504,0,5082719.story

Powell joins distinguished club of former Carroll County Chiefs of Staff Eagle Archives by Kevin Dayhoff May 5, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/obrxrho

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/05/powell-joins-distinguished-club-of.html

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The recent resignation of Steve Powell, chief of staff for the Board of Commissioners for Carroll County, brought back memories of other distinguished individuals in county history who have endured that arduous position: Richard "Pat" Hill, Robert A. "Max" Bair and George A. Grier, to name a few.

In full disclosure, this writer had the honor and privilege to have worked with every county chief of staff — executive assistant — since the position was created in 1959.

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Whether you agreed or disagreed with them, those who have held the position deserve a special place in our hearts and prayers for their service and commitment to Carroll County; for it is a wonder they are able to retire and not be committed: On any given day, the chief must keep the wheels of government running smoothly.

[…]

Often, my visits to the office of the chief of staff reminded me of the lyrics to the 1970 David Bowie song, "All the Madmen": "Day after day / They take some brain away / Then turn my face around / To the far side of town / And tell me that it's real / Then ask me how I feel." http://youtu.be/jb7Xdu7STx8 Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archive-0504-20140505,0,6364637.story

[…]

Meanwhile, it is only fitting that Powell will be leaving to take a job in a retirement home — as vice president of finance for Carroll Lutheran Village. Join me in wishing him the best.

http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/84902661118/powell-joins-distinguished-club-of-former-carroll

Powell joins distinguished club of former CC Chiefs of Staff by Kevin Dayhoff 5May2014 http://tinyurl.com/obrxrho

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/05/powell-joins-distinguished-club-of.html

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Powell joins Grier and Bair in a distinguished club of former Carroll County chiefs of staff

Eagle Archives

By Kevin E. Dayhoff,

Sunday, May 4, 2014

The recent resignation of Steve Powell, the chief of staff for the Carroll County board of commissioners, brought back many memories of other distinguished individuals in Carroll County history who have endured that arduous position; Richard “Pat” Hill, Robert A. "Max" Bair and George A. Grier, to name a few.

In full disclosure this writer has had the honor and privilege to have worked with every Carroll County chief of staff – or ‘executive assistant’ - since the position was first created in 1959.

Being the ‘chief’ is an extremely difficult job - something akin to being pecked to death by a flock of friendly geese. And then, of course, there are those times when the geese were not so friendly. Whether you agreed or disagreed with the chief; everyone who has ever held that position deserves a special place in our hearts and prayers for their service and commitment to Carroll County.

That said, it is a wonder they retire and are not simply ‘committed.’ On any given day, the chief has to keep the wheels of government running smoothly.

This is a ‘mission impossible.’ It means keeping everyone happy including the commissioners, county department directors and bureau chiefs, county employees, and other elected officials from the delegation to Annapolis to any number of the eight county mayors and numerous council members. Then there are citizens, state and municipal bureaucrats, local nonprofits, churches and civic organizations.

Often my visits to the office of the chief of staff reminded me of the lyrics to the 1970 David Bowie song, “All the Madmen,” from the album, “The Man Who Sold the World.” “Day after day. They take some brain away. Then turn my face around. To the far side of town. And tell me that it's real. Then ask me how I feel…”

Consistently the individuals that have held the office have exemplified all that is the best of those who aspire to selfless public service.

Most recently the county commissioners announced the retirement of Powell in a press release on April 24. According to the release, “Powell has worked for the county for 28 years, most recently as Chief of Staff. He began working for Carroll County Government in October 1985 as Budget Officer. After 3 years in that role, he became the Director of Management and Budget and served in that capacity until becoming Chief of Staff in January 2003.” Powell followed in the footsteps of Hill, who had held the position for a couple of years after Bair retired on October 1, 2001.

Bair had worked for the county 31 years. According to an article in The Sun in September 2001 by Mary Gail Hare, Bair “started working for the county as a planner in 1970…” Bair was first appointed to the office of chief – executive assistant - in late 1983.

At that time, according to an article in The Sun on December 25, 1994 by Kerry O’Rourke, Bair “was named to replace George A. Grier as the commissioners' executive assistant. Mr. Grier had held the job for 25 years.” In a county government reorganization in December 1994, Bair was given the title of ‘chief of staff.’ Bair currently works as the Youth Program Coordinator for the Business and Employment Resource Center.

The first ‘chief of staff’ was Grier, who first joined county government in 1959, as the “first county administrator until his retirement in 1983. He likewise was the county's first planning director, developing the first county Master Plan and its zoning regulations. During this time, he served seven boards of county commissioners,” according to his published obituary after he passed away on Oct. 13, 2002.

Meanwhile, it is only fitting that Powell, according to an article in The Sun by Keith Meisel, will be leaving to take a job in a retirement home – as vice president of finance for Carroll Lutheran Village. Join me in wishing him the best.

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Other stories by Kevin E. Dayhoff:

Dayhoff Westminster

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Carroll County Promotes Roberta Windham to County Administrator

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