From Harford County Government:
(Bel Air, MD) – – Harford County Executive David R. Craig announced the departure of Beth Hendrix effective September 12, 2014. Ms. Hendrix has served as Director of Harford County Department of Community Services since January 2011, and has been with county government for 16 years.
Ms. Hendrix has accepted a position with the federal Department of Housing & Urban Development in Washington, DC.
“Beth Hendrix is a talented professional who has been dedicated to bettering the lives of Harford County citizens. I am proud of what she has accomplished in Community Services for the citizens of Harford County during her tenure and I wish her well in her future endeavors,” said County Executive Craig.
County Executive Craig will name Jim Ports as the department’s Acting Director through the remainder of the term. Ports is currently the Administrator of Harford Transit.
With our “do nothing” co ex leaving soon no doubt many of his directors are looking for new jobs too
Don’t the rats always leave a sinking ship.
Rats leaving a sinking ship. Wow…what a catchy phrase!
Having lived most of my life in Harford, I consider it a great honor and pleasure having met and worked with Beth…all the best to her in the next part of her journey!.
She is positively a can do person and always willing to listen, learn and lead. Her work ethic and ability to develop a plan, follow up and deliver innovative solutions has left a blue print for others to follow. As with changes in new administrations, people that are appointed and aren’t the best at making promises they can’t keep, have to look out for their own best interests. My bet– the Tea Party bosses don’t really like any one Director to actually direct their department, imagine that! No specific direction from Glassman and Bonifarce (bigger problem than Glassman) The TP has this election cycle ready to take back HCG back to the dark ages. I know at least of a few instances in which McGrady and her cohorts tried to influence and put pressure on her department to spend money in politically motivated plans and SHE didn’t have any of it and the CE supported her ideas more than people outside county govt.
Glassman may indeed in the end not follow the TP lead but right now is in no position to express any throughts publicly regarding his plans as the TP bosses are watching him. TP’s don’t trust him much either and wonder if he is one of them… (I hope he fools them as Craig did).
As my mother always told me, if you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all. So I wont.
She stepped on a lot of good people on her way up and out. By the way, not impressed. One less to clean house after the election.
Truth, you don’t get to the top by being friends with everyone. Bottom line, her work performance was excellent and server the county and the CE is good fashion. When you hold fast to your principles and don’t cave in to the political pressure that some inflict, you will make enemies but she always kept HC first and foremost as there are many ways to lead a department as her leadership was without reproach or questionable calls for political reasons. Isn’t that what you would want for someone in charge? to make the best decisions while considering all the factors involved without political influence.
You don’t have to be friends to get to the top but at least you must have ethics and a moral compass to be a true leader. There are plenty of task masters in history who got the job done, but at what cost to others? I’m not impressed with her work ethics and behind the scene kind of work that was more her style. A true leader is one who has integrity and works “above board” with everyone. A true leader is one that tells the truth and someone who can be trusted. Worked with her for a time and didn’t have much respect for the way in which she went about her “work.”
Sorry to say as an employee of the Department, she was one one of the worst administrators. She will do well in federal govt. The current crop of Craig directors know that Glassman is going to disassemble his friends and family hiring network and their days are numbered. This change is so needed in an administration where corruption rules in procurement and in hiring and compensation practices.
Bill,
You a full of crapola! The Mrs. was employed with the same dept priot to CE taking office. She was promoted by Mary Chance to deputy and to Director when Ms. Chance took appointment to Director of Administration. The Mrs, wasn’t family or connected to Craig prior to his appointment. You can have your opinion and it is as valid as mine. I do doubt that you are a county employee and that you have any understanding of her duties or her work performance.
Don’t think for a minute that she got that position by her experience and education. In the previous administration, there wasn’t even a deputy position and then one day, suddenly, it appeared. She was being groomed for the director position because Chance had her sights set on a higher position within the administration. You think that folks are naive? Both Hendrix and Chance are terrible administrators and I hope that with the new batch of folks coming in, they will “clean house.” We have such nepotism in the county, it is doubtful though.
How did she become a Director then? Isn’t being a deputy director the step below Director? What part of learning the job on the job don’t you understand?? She didn’t come out of some other field into her deputy job either, as she was in positions below before that!. I don’t see any nepotism on her appointment but instead hard work and demonstrated abilities. Never mind that the CE could have appointed anyone He wanted for his cabinet and chose the most experienced person in that department to lead it. Ms. Hendrix brought in other talent once she became the director, including the newly appointed Director to replace her. Nothing fishy or underhanded about it. She isn’t Scott Gibson or other special appointments made by the administration. You keep harping that both Hendrix and Chance were “terrible administrators” are there any facts or points to support your statement??? Bringing in new talent doesn’t change the fact that it is classified staff that do the day to day activities of the department, the leadership can change things and ways overtime but the daily functioning doesn’t depend on a new CE or a new Director. In fact, if someone is new, there is staff assigned to coach the new leaders as to what to do and what parts can’t be changed by rule, law or procedure. Bonifarce fired the council administrator but the council quickly demanded her return because the Council President doesn’t get to fire people on his own whims. a new deputy director was quickly reprimanded once because he confronted an employee out of his department which is a big no-no! In all my years, the CE’s office has never called me for any reason but through my Director. People outside the govt don’t know how it works until they are in. You can only change things by law, rule or procedure, not on a whim. So a new CE can change things but his staff or appointed Directors can only do so much and they really can’t clean house as you put it.
The reasons why changed don’t have on a retribution basis is to protect staff that must sometimes do things unpopular or because they didn’t get influenced by outside friends of the CE or the Director. My job depends on me following rules, laws and procedures in place. Most of what I do personally is well defined and not political but there is always someone that thinks because they know someone, that I can’t just not follow the law! I’ve had my Director demand an explanation or discuss a case with him/her but I have never been told to look the other way, let this one go or make exceptions because my character and my reputation can come into question. And there are outside influences such as name droppers but they don’t bother me, in fact it probably makes me dig in more so and stands my ground. I love pissing people off too, specially the one’s that don’t mind telling me that they pay my salary. Guess what you pay the Sheriff’s salary too and you will get arrested if you break the law….
Crapola?
Are you me? I’d say you a full of crap…
As my Mother always said (quoting Eleanor Roosevelt)–“Great minds talk about ideas; average minds talk about events; small minds talk about people.”
Are cynics ever happy?
Not really a cynic…just truthfully expressing an opinion about my experience working with her over the years and the things I witnessed.
County inspector in my neighborhood refused to fine the bank with the foreclosed home and waist high grass but was quick to point out that another house was being used as multi unit in a residential zone. When I explained that the homeowner was trying to keep the home as he was now disabled and rents the basement to pay the mortgage. Basically the homeowner was given a citation and received a nice letter from zoning to uninstall kitchen in basement. go figure their priorities..
I was a victim of her climbing to the top and I watched her do it ruthlessly. Federal Government can have her.
That’s what I am talking about. I saw her do outrageous things to very bright people… some with a lot of experience and better educational credentials than her. You are right, the federal government can have her. And I still say, “good riddance.”