Letter to the Editor: Let's add Robin McClellan's strengths to the City Council
Monday, October 24, 2011
To the Editor:
What makes for a highly effective member of a public board or council? I have worked professionally with hundreds of boards over many years and research has shown that two qualities correlate with a person's effectiveness: a command of the content of the organization's work, and good interpersonal skills.
It is unusual to have an individual with remarkably strong attributes in both these areas as a candidate for public office for the first time. Robin McClelland as a candidate for Shoreline City Council brings these strengths.
She has a strong command of the content both because she has a master's degree in regional planning and she has worked for over 30 years with communities which are grappling with policy and planning issues. Plus, she also served for eight years on our own city's planning commission.
Personally, she reflects the quiet confidence and deep humanism that finds her engaging in respectful communications even when opinions differ. These attributes naturally lead to a commitment to collaborative decision making and strong team-building - another characteristic of effective boards and councils.
It should be no surprise that the highly-respected Municipal League gave her their highest rating - "outstanding", the only non-incumbent running for the Shoreline City Council to receive such a rating. Let's not miss this opportunity to add Robin's strengths to our City Council.
Bruce Amundson, MD
Shoreline
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5 comments:
Since she has worked on the Public payroll for over 30 years maybe it is high time she get a job in the real world. Then see how all her opinions effect the little people, since she doesn't seem to listen while talking to her constituents
Dear @anonymous 8:55 a.m.:
Huh?!?
Ms. McClelland may have what it takes for collaborative decision making and strong team building which may have worked well in her professional life. BUT, now she's running for the city council. I want someone whose first loyalty is to his/her constituents and someone who will listen politely to and represent our concerns. I'm not sure what Ms. McClelland's "deep humanism" is, but Jesse Solomon's interests and accomplishments seem to me to represent a much more active interest in our community and concern for the well being of its residents.
As the only candidate running for office that believes developing Point Wells is a positive opportunity for the city of Shoreline, one questions what type of development would Ms McClellan find objectionable? Perhaps she can offer access to Point Wells through her property in the Highlands so as to save the folks in Richmond Beach the obvious problems an additional 10,000 car trips a day will cause.
In response to the previous comment, I want to clarify that The Highlands and Richmond Highlands are two different neighborhoods. Candidate McClelland lives in Richmond Highlands which runs from Aurora to around 10th NW.
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