The Montgomery County Council is expected next week to appoint its deputy director to take over the role of executive director after the departure of Caven West, who stepped down Oct. 25 after six months, according to the council.
Deputy director Craig Howard is expected to be formally appointed as executive director at the Nov. 12 council meeting, according to the council’s Oct. 30 release.
The executive director serves as the chief adviser to the council, providing “fiscal and policy analysis of the $7.1 billion county operating budget, $5.9 billion capital spending program, and day-to-day oversight of all council operations,” according to the release.
According to his LinkedIn page, Howard has been employed by the county government since 2002, when he worked as a legislative analyst in the council’s Office of Legislative Oversight. He served as a senior legislative analyst from 2011 to 2020, when he was appointed as the council’s deputy director.
“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Montgomery County Council in a new way. With more than 22 years of experience in Montgomery County’s legislative branch, I will hit the ground running and advance the work of the Council in a collaborative and transparent way while also focusing on innovation,” Howard wrote Wednesday in an email statement to MoCo360. “I appreciate the trust that the Council has placed in me and am fortunate to work with an amazing team of dedicated, intelligent, and talented public policy professionals.”
In the council release, council President Andrew Friedson praised noted Howard’s longstanding service in county government.
“His depth of knowledge navigating complex fiscal and legislative issues as well as Council and county operations position him to seamlessly move into the executive director role,” Friedson said.
In its release, the council said West left the post for “family reasons.” The council named West, who previously served as the chief of staff for the city clerk in Detroit, Michigan, as its new executive director in March. He was formally appointed in April to succeed Marlene Michaelson, who retired in April after serving as the council’s chief of staff since 2018. West was selected through a national search conducted by the council.
A council spokesperson did not provide additional information about West’s departure, and West could not be reached for comment by MoCo360.
If Howard is appointed, his responsibilities are expected to include drafting and analysis of legislation, supervising more than 100 council staff members and working with staff members to compile the county’s annual operating budget. The executive director also oversee the provision of services required for the council to make its decisions and represents the council on interagency boards.
