I'm pleased to announce I have nominated Martha Bennett to be Metro's next chief operating officer. It is my hope that the Metro Council will approve her nomination on Thursday, Sept. 8.
It was a very challenging decision thanks to the great slate of candidates for the position. I want to thank those of you who gave us feedback on the COO candidates. Your perspectives were very important to me in making this decision. I particularly want to thank those of you who served on one of several interview panels. Your time is valuable and I appreciate you sharing it with Metro.
I chose Martha because I'm impressed with her energy, her honesty and her intelligence. At a time when people are cynical about the important work we do, we need more candor and honesty, not less. We need to be open to telling it like it is, even when it's uncomfortable. I believe Martha will do that for us.
She brings the right mix of experience, humor and work ethic we need to move Metro and our region forward. Martha's penchant for candor, combined with her political savvy, will help us face the challenges of creating good jobs now and in the future, protecting our farm and forest land, and making the most of our great cities and towns.
The people Martha works with praise her creativity and her focus on solutions instead of problems. She has a reputation for being approachable and leading a strong, dedicated management team that supports her vision. She's earned the respect of her mayor, her city council, her employees, the public and the Metro Council.
If approved, Martha will begin serving in her new position on Oct. 31.
Please join me in welcoming Martha to Metro.