By Adam Pagnucco.
Part One explained how this survey was conducted. Parts Two, Three, Four, Five and Six listed elected officials.
Now to the most influential non-elected people. This was a harder determination for my sources than picking influential elected people because most non-elected folks are not obvious and visible influencers.
Here is one thing I noticed about voting patterns here: my sources’ picks depended in large part on the communities in which they operate. One dimension is geographic: they often voted for people near where they live. That’s because they see those folks more often than people in other parts of the county. Another dimension is issue based. Sources who are active on MCPS issues often voted for school-related leaders. Sources in the business community often voted for other business folks. And so on. Most people who operate inside these communities don’t see what is going on in other communities nearly as well as they see their own, and they vote accordingly.
And so the non-elected people who got the most votes tend to be crossover types: people who are so prominent, usually because of the positions they hold, that they are obvious picks for lots of sources. You can guess who they are, and yes, they will appear at the top of this list. The more interesting ones are the people who are a bit less prominent but somehow break through near the top.
Before we get started on the list as determined by my sources, I want to spotlight a few people who warrant attention. These folks may not have received the most sources’ votes, but they deserve recognition for their work. Plus, I just like them, so deal with it!
Susan Farag, Legislative Analyst, Montgomery County Council
Susan’s portfolio is public safety, and man, she is all over that like white on rice. She is a prophet and fearless analyst who is deeply respected in the police community. The council may not always love what she says, but she says it anyway and they ignore it at their peril. The public loves Susan’s stuff too. I say that because I have spotlighted her packets several times and that usually gets me spikes in page views. (That’s why I am going to do that some more!)
Brigid Howe, President, Montgomery County Council of PTAs
A MoCo native whose experience in county politics goes back to the 1990s, she is the new president of the county PTA organization. She is inquisitive, fair, passionate and extremely knowledgeable. She crosses over into other worlds besides education. Get used to hearing this name, folks.
Josh Kurtz, Co-Founder, Maryland Matters
Thank God for Josh Kurtz. With the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post cutting their state and local coverage, Josh did a huge service for the state by creating Maryland Matters. It has become THE indispensable outlet for state and local reporting in a short period of time. Sources, shame on you for not putting Josh in the top ten!
Scott Peterson, spokesman for County Executive Marc Elrich
Scott isn’t always happy with what I write, but why should he be? That does not negate the fact that he is the best comms guy I have ever dealt with. He has huge experience, having previously worked for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. He knows press all over the state, always has well-prepared arguments to make and – best of all – never takes things personally. If you are a high level elected person reading this, and Scott leaves his current position for whatever reason, you must HIRE this guy.
Eric Saul, Founder, Takoma Torch
Eric is a comedian, but like a lot of great ones, he is a comedian with a point. His humor is infused with a central tenet that has become entrenched in county politics over the last 20 years: the county needs more housing, and those who oppose it are doing a disservice to the community. Rather than simply rant against them, Eric mocks them. Of course, he mocks a lot of people. (Where is the mockery for me, dude?) On top of all that, elected leaders read his stuff and many treat him like a folk hero. Which he is.
County council chiefs of staff
A few of them almost made this list and they really should have. I may be partial to them (because I was once one of them), but here is the truth – the council and its elected members are totally dependent on them to be effective. Chiefs of staff run the council members’ personal offices, coordinate their services, are their most important political and policy advisors and are usually the last person the member talks to before casting a vote. Boy is it a tough job! If you want to know the council, you absolutely MUST know these chiefs of staff.
OK, enough of my speechifying. We will start the sources’ list tomorrow.