— from Marla Johns —
I have been a social worker, administrator and community advocate for nearly 20 years, in many areas. More importantly, I have been the wife of a police officer for nearly as long. Presently, both my husband and I are living and working on Orcas Island.
When I look to the qualities of an effective leader I look at attributes such as honesty, communication, confidence, commitment, creativity, a positive attitude, and the ability to inspire others. In looking toward the future of the sheriff’s department, there is no place to value these qualities more. There are so many problems under the current administration that the general public just doesn’t know; but all can be traced back to not having an effective leader.
An effective leader would be always honest and take responsibility and accountability when mistakes are made. Under the current administration, the tactic is to blame others, minimize or ignore situations, and then remove himself from the problem. However, I believe his opponent, Ron Krebs, when he states he desires to be held accountable and looks to the public to hold him to a higher standard of honesty and integrity. And when mistakes happen, as they always will, I believe Krebs when he says he will be upfront and open and accept responsibility…something the department has not seen under the current administration.
An effective leader shares and does not hoard information from his or her subordinates or the public. A leader who fails to communicate is one who either doesn’t know the information himself, or one who doesn’t trust people to receive the information. I believe Ron Krebs when he says he will have regular town hall meetings to give and receive information to the public. I trust he will initiate regular staff meetings with his employees. I am confident he will be present in the office more than he is away and that he will be available to the public and his employees.
An effective leader leads with confidence, commitment and creativity. No longer can the same problems be viewed through the same lens of solution. I believe Ron will be a creative leader to look for alternative funding solutions and creative scheduling to maximize staff, rather than to give up and say “that’s just the way it is.” Ron will be a confident leader who will utilize the skills of those around him to make the department as a whole a better and more efficient work place. Ron Krebs has plans for creative problem solving already in place and he will share them with anyone who asks. I believe he will surround himself with only the best of the best and will mentor those who struggle to be better than they are. I believe Ron Krebs will not let arrogance get in the way of solutions.
Finally, an effective leader is one who can inspire others. The current sheriff has lost the trust and faith of his own employees. There is really nothing left. I believe Ron Krebs will be an inspiring leader because he is already doing so. His department members are looking to him to lead them out of the dark place the sheriff’s department has become. He is the light at the end of their tunnel and their faith in his being elected is what keeps most of them coming to work each day. I shudder to think of what will happen to the department if Ron Krebs is not elected your next sheriff.
I urge you to join with me and cast your ballots today for Ron Krebs as your San Juan County Sheriff.
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Well said. My ballot is in the mail.
The comment, “Under the current administration, the tactic is to blame others, minimize or ignore situations, and then remove himself from the problem” exactly reflects my experience of Rob Nou. I think it is time for a change.
In 2012, Sheriff Nou came to Waldron because Waldron people were so upset by three specific incidents which we felt the Sheriff’s Department had seriously bungled. We hoped that we could communicate our concerns to the Sheriff and see them addressed. To his credit, Rob Nou came to talk to us. To our despair and disgust, he soothed & smoothed, denied the seriousness of the incidents, evaded responsibility and put any blame on either his subordinates or on the people who had needed help. He did not attempt to find solutions or propose to take any actions whatsoever to make things work better in the future. He did not say that he would communicate our concerns to the people in his department. I was left with the impression that he intended to do nothing whenever possible. The only thing he got excited by was the sight of a couple of kids riding in the back of a pickup truck — that made him actually stand up & shout.
I was not impressed. I am ready for a change.