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ENGLISH: Honest team-builder

| September 19, 2010 10:00 PM

I am writing in support of Dan English for Kootenai County Clerk.

I have known Dan for almost 30 years now. In the mid-80s we were both involved in starting youth service programs. He was getting Anchor House off the ground and I was putting the Big Brother Big Sister Program together. Those were intense and exciting times and we saw much of each other since we both served on each other's Board of Directors and Kootenai County was about half the size it is now.

I base my support of Dan on the major character traits that I saw in the man. It has been my experience that such traits remain in tact as the years go by.

This election is different than most in that we are voting for, and at the same time hiring a full-time employee to run an important part of County Government.

The personality characteristics that I want to focus on, seem to me, to be essential for a person to perform this job well.

The first is honesty. I never knew Dan to focus on anything but the reality of the situation we were dealing with. We did not always agree, but I always knew that he was dealing with the reality as he saw it. This orientation allows one to maintain direct and clear communication.

The second is the ability to build supportive relationships with the people with whom he works. Dan's vision and goals were so straight forward and out there that they became the vision and goals of those around him. A team emerged.

Since Dan has expressed his desire to stay in his position, why in the world would we not want to rehire him or in this case re-elect him.

NORM MAHONEY

Hayden