FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 1998
Contact: Diane Thomas
(714) 834-6203
CEO Named 1 of 11
Public Officials Of The Year By National Magazine
SANTA ANA – County
Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier will be honored this
month as one of GOVERNING MAGAZINE’s 11 Public Officials
of the Year. GOVERNING, an independent national magazine
covering state and local government, is presenting its
award winners for the fifth year.
"In this award process we’re looking for leaders,
individuals with courage, resilience, innovation –
people who take on the impossible," said Elder Witt,
GOVERNING’s deputy publisher. "Jan took on a
bad situation and rescued it."
Mittermeier was selected, in part, for guiding the County
out of bankruptcy, but this month’s issue of GOVERNING
indicates that the judges’ choice had a wider scope:
"Mittermeier did more than steer the county successfully
through its travails (bankruptcy). She saw an opportunity
to modernize the county government – to reorganize
the management structure and put in performance measurement
and better systems for making long-range decisions."
The magazine annually solicits award nominations during
the first half of the year. GOVERNING's editorial board
makes the final decisions. Other honorees this year include
Richard J. Pennington, Superintendent of Police, New Orleans;
Diana Gale, Director of Public Utilities, Seattle; George
Sinnott, New York Civil Service Commissioner; and Zell
Miller, Governor of Georgia.
"These people attempted things that the most knowledgeable
cynics were certain could not succeed," said Alan
Ehrenhalt, GOVERNING’s executive editor. "Fortunately,
they did not listen. In winning genuine victories despite
the perceived odds, they offer powerful evidence that
real accomplishment is taking place every day in American
government, even at a time of widespread public distrust
of the political process."
"I am truly honored to receive this award,"
said Mittermeier. "Personally, it’s very gratifying,
but, beyond that, I’m proud that it gives recognition
to the substantive work that’s been done in this
organization by so many people to achieve the goals we
set. They all share in this honor."
The honorees will receive their awards November 18 at
a dinner in Washington, D.C.
GOVERNING has been in publication for 11 years and has
a circulation of 86,000.
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