Michigan's governor "has repeatedly stuck his neck out," says Governing magazine in a mini-profile explaining why Rick Snyder is among nine Public Officials of the Year in its December issue.
"His highest-stakes bet came with the state takeover of Detroit and the July 2013 decision to seek bankruptcy protection for the financially beleaguered city," reporter Daniel C. Vock writes in the Washington-based publication with 85,000 subscribers. "Those types of decisions carry political risks, but that hasn't slowed down the governor."
The monthly also praises his "heavy use of performance scorecards and dashboards, which the state as a whole and most individual agencies now use."
Doug Rothwell, head of Business Leaders for Michigan, is quoted:
“People are clamoring for less partisanship and less negativity in politics. Rick Snyder’s style is certainly a way to bridge that divide.”
Governing, published since 1987, has picked Officials of the Year since 1994.
Elected, appointed and career officials from any branch of state or local government are eligible. Our readers are invited to nominate individuals who have had a notable positive impact on their department or agency, community or state.
Governing annually receives several hundred nominations from individuals in the public and private sectors. In addition, Governing staff consults experts and scholars in the field, and also nominates outstanding individuals they encounter in the course of their work. Nominations are evaluated by a selection committee, which . . . chooses the winners.
