New chief wins over critics, gets feet wet

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Dave Benda

July 1, 2012

New chief wins over critics, gets feet wet

Administrator David Benda: 'One bite at a time' is plan

BY BRIAN McGILLIVARY bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Sun Jul 01, 2012, 09:50 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — David Benda — a man who supposedly lacked personality — didn’t take long to win over his critics on the Grand Traverse County board.

Benda started work in mid-June as the first new county administrator in more than a decade. He’s spent that time getting to know his staff, the county board, and the myriad of challenges facing both.

He’s already conquered two commissioners’ early doubts and is confident in his ability to tackle issues ranging from structural budget problems to the county’s long-struggling septage treatment plant.

“I like Dave, he has a pretty good head on his shoulders and we probably see more eye to eye than somebody might have thought,” said Commissioner Jason Gillman, who strongly objected to Benda’s hiring over concerns about his personality. “Of the candidates we had, I think he is the best for the job, no question in my mind right now.”

Benda laughs about the early-on criticism and said he never took any of it personally. The former Midland County administrator said after two years in the private sector, it’s good to be back in public service.

“This is a great place with a lot of good people who really care about what they are doing,” Benda said. “I’m really enjoying it.”

Benda, 57, and his wife, Beverly, took an apartment in Garfield Township while they settle into the community. He enjoys swimming and cycling but said outside of county government all he has time to do is eat and sleep. But he said his wife enjoys the area so far.

“She says she hasn’t met one grumpy person here,” Benda said.

Benda replaces Dennis Aloia, who left in February for a similar position in Oregon.

Benda has a different management style, but board chairman Larry Inman said he likes what he’s seeing and looks forward to the change in approach.

Commissioner Christine Maxbauer, who wanted to fire Aloia and voted against hiring Benda, said she’s both “impressed and hopeful” after a one-on-one meeting with the new administrator.

“He listens,” she said.

Benda said commissioners should not expect a sea change from him this first year but will he make an impact “one bite at a time.”

The county needs to become more efficient and adjust to the long-term budget constraints created by the economic downturn, he said.

“We’re into the middle of a big change right now and we need to get right sided,” Benda said. “I’ve been successful at finding more efficient ways to provide services and shaking some money loose.”

Use of technology and keeping activities focused on a detailed strategic plan are two of Benda’s primary goals.

Grand Traverse County provides more information and services on its web site than most regional counties, but Benda said it doesn’t go far enough.

“It always needs to be improved because that’s the way our population is moving, we need to be able to deliver more services to people’s laptop,” Benda said.

He cited permitting, the health department, and public safety as areas that can provide more online services and eliminate trips to brick-and-mortar buildings. Department heads will be tasked with anticipating the public’s needs and questions on a continual basis to keep the county’s web site up to date.

The board will soon discover one difference between Benda and Aloia when it revisits its strategic plan.

The plan grew a little more detailed over the years under Aloia, but Benda said the next plan will be “significantly more detailed” with goals for every county department and program.

“It’s going to be detailed, a living document, not something that sits on the shelf,” he said. “It’s an action plan for what we want to accomplish.”

He wants to link activity in the county’s departments and issues before the county board to the strategic plan.

“It makes a lot of sense to stay focused on the plan and not do a lot of things that are off from what we are trying to accomplish,” Benda said. “County government has been around for 150 some years, and we need to focus on the things we’ve decided to do and want to do well.”