Montgomery County Councilmembers continually described retiring executive director Marlene Michaelson as “a mentor” and “family” and noted that she was always “patient” during a presentation Tuesday recognizing her more than 35 years of service to the council.
“Marlene has been at the center of some of the most challenging, controversial and difficult issues before the council even in her previous roles,” Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) said Tuesday. “She did it with grace, with professionalism, with intellect and with a great level of patience.”
From 2018, Michaelson served as executive director, which includes acting as the chief adviser to the council. She handled drafting and analysis of legislation and supervised council staff members. She also oversaw the provision of services required for the council to make its decisions, and represented the council on interagency boards, according to the county’s website.
Michaelson announced in September that she intended to retire in 2024. Previously, she had been a senior legislative analyst for the council for more than 30 years. Over the course of her Montgomery County career, Michaelson worked with 10 different councils.
The council named Caven West, who was most recently the city clerk’s chief of staff in Detroit, Michigan, as its new executive director in March. He started working in the county office in April.
After receiving an official proclamation from the council Tuesday, Michaelson shared in her remarks that when she took a job with the council as a legislative analyst in 1988, she never expected to stay in the county, but she quickly grew passionate about the work the council was doing.
“I stayed at the council because I fell in love with the diversity of both this landscape and its people,” MichaeIson said. “I know of no other place where vibrant urban areas are so close to working farms and an agricultural preserve, where our residents share the culture and languages of so many different areas of the world.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, councilmembers shared their experiences working with Michaelson.
Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large) noted Michaelson’s leadership in transitioning the council to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[You] demonstrated unprecedented leadership during an unprecedented time. We didn’t know what Zoom was,” Jawando said. “Under your guidance, we transitioned to those virtual meetings seamlessly. We shifted to telework, which … nobody even notices that, we [still] do it multiple times a week.”
Jawando also thanked Michaelson for her work diversifying the council staff. He noted that when he started, a lot of employees were getting close to retirement age, but Michaelson advocated for hiring staff with a wide range of ages.
Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5) said she benefited from Michaelson’s mentorship and institutional knowledge when she joined the council in December 2022.
“There was just an enormous body of knowledge that you were just very gently departing at a reasonable pace,” Mink said. “It really is incredible to think about the level of support that you have provided in the running of this county.”
Councilmember Gabe Albornoz (D-At-large) shared an anecdote from when he became director of Parks and Recreation in 2007. He said he had become “deflated” after some criticism from then-councilmember Marilyn Praisner during a meeting, but afterward he got a call from Michaelson, who provided “sound, thoughtful advice” to Albornoz. He said the guidance has stuck with him throughout his career.
“I will never forget that. It really helped me at that particular time build confidence, and you at that point took it upon yourself to coach me,” Albornoz said.
Michaelson closed her remarks Tuesday by thanking the council and staff for their efforts and encouraging them to continue pressing forward in their work for county residents.
“It is a job for which you’re often criticized, rarely thanked and daily face new challenges. I want to thank each of you publicly for your commitment to our residents and untiring efforts to work on their behalf,” Michaelson said. “[The council staff] is the smartest and most creative and passionate group of people anyone could have the good fortune to work with.”
