County Executive Neuman: Just what the PEOPLE Ordered

USPA NEWS - It would be nearly impossible to spend more than 5 minutes with County Executive Laura Neuman, and not feel her extreme energy, see the pride and passion she has for serving the people of Anne Arundel County, and not be inspired by this political leader who truly puts people above politics.

A busy first week...

An Inspirational leader, Anne Arundel County´s new Chief Executive is energetic and passionate about leading the County, and her vision for making it Maryland´s best.

Immediately after being sworn-in, the County Executive went to her office on the 4th floor of the Arundel Center. She was looking forward to a full day of work, but was somewhat taken aback as she walked into her new office. It was the Office for the County Executive, and there was nothing on the walls, no computer, not even a drop line to connect a computer into. It was like “we stepped back in time,“ said County Executive Neuman. My first official act was getting a computer for my office.

Yes, the new County Executive is tech savvy, and proudly so.

She also met with county employees on Friday, as well as requested the resignation of all department heads and political appointees. This is common practice with any new administration, and given the reputation of the former; it was critical.

The County Executive holds herself to high standards, and strives for nothing less than excellence; a quality she also expects of those around her.

Within days, she had accepted the resignation of County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson, Leopold Chief of Staff Erik Robey, and two others.

Neuman selected David Cordle as her Chief of Staff. Cordle will head the transition team, which will closely examine all departments and appointed positions, and then assemble the Administration's leadership team.

When asked if former acting County Executive John Hammond had a place in the Neuman administration, the County Executive emphatically answered “Yes“, and went on to say that Hammond has been an excellent public servant to the people of Anne Arundel County for years, and she looked forward to his continued service as part of her team.

As for the rest of her first week on the job, County Executive Neuman continued to meet with county employees, held her first cabinet meeting, received briefing overviews from department heads, met with county legislators, members of the County Council, had lunch with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, visited Ft. Smallwood Park, attended a civic association meeting in w. county, and an awards ceremony in n. county.

Top Priority

County Executive Neuman´s top priority is to re-gain the publics confidence and trust in their county government. She plans to achieve this through working collaboratively with all parties, and fostering an environment where transparency is a given, not a slogan.

In speaking of the county and it's potential, the County Executive had this to say:

“We have more resources in Anne Arundel County than any other county in the State.“ said Neuman. “We are a resource rich community, but we do not operate like one.“

Given the County Executive's determination and previous successes, it is not unreasonable to be confident that county residents will likely see many positive changes over the next 22 months of the Neuman Administration.

A little good news today...

Laura Neuman wasn't a name most people mentioned when speculating about who might be Anne Arundel County's next Chief Executive.

In truth, after being selected by the County Council late Thursday evening, most people spent Friday wondering:

Who is Laura Neuman?
Where did she come from?, and
How did she become County Executive?

Certainly, we are still in the honeymoon phase, and there are many unknowns about the new County Executive, but from all early indicators, Laura Neuman is just what the PEOPLE of Anne Arundel County ordered.