Patrick L. Anderson, principal and chief executive officer of Anderson Economic Group LLC, has named Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson the best elected official in Michigan.
In an article in TheMichiganView.com, Anderson said, "There are other elected officials that are doing a good job in Michigan, and I hope they, too, get their recognition. However, if there was an award for the most successful elected official in Michigan, it should go to my friend, the unassuming, quiet (alright, not-so-quiet) and very effective Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson."
Anderson cites Patterson's leadership in county budgetary and fiscal practices, his vision for economic development and the county's AAA bond rating during challenging economic times as the reasons why he is the best elected official in Michigan.
"I'm humbled by Pat Anderson's praise of me," said Patterson. "But if I'm doing the best job in Michigan it is because I have surrounded myself with a staff that is the best and brightest in their areas of expertise."
Anderson wrote his assessment of Patterson after attending the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's "An Evening with the Mackinac Center" which featured Patterson as the keynote speaker at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
Patterson's speech focused on lessons for successful leadership in the public sector. In his address to the Mackinac Center audience, Patterson said:
* Face facts, especially bad facts (i.e., addressing unfunded liabilities and anticipating tax revenue declines).
* Budget for the future (Oakland County is the only county in the nation budgeting on a rolling three-year cycle).
* Be a leader (Automation Alley, Emerging Sectors and Medical Main Street job attraction and retention strategies).
To view Patterson's complete speech at "An Evening with the Mackinac Center," navigate to http://www.mackinac.org/13738.
Anderson Economic Group LLC is a consulting firm with offices in East Lansing, Michigan and Chicago. Patrick Anderson is the author of the book "Business Economics & Finance," and the 2009 winner of the National Association of Business Economists award for "outstanding writing in business economics."
Published: Wed, Oct 27, 2010
