June 13 , 2006
King County Executive Ron Sims’ Statement on Election Director Dean Logan’s Decision to Accept A New Job in Los Angeles
King County Executive Ron Sims today issued the following statement regarding Records, Elections and Licensing Director Dean Logan's decision to leave his current position on July 14 to become the Chief Deputy Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for Los Angeles County, California:
"It was with great sadness that I learned of Dean Logan's decision to accept an elections position with Los Angeles County, the largest elections jurisdiction in the nation. He is a dedicated public servant and one of the most respected elections administrators in the nation. His consummate professionalism, unswerving integrity and exceptional work ethic will be sorely missed here in King County.
"While it is an incredible disappointment for King County to lose him, I am happy for Dean and his family. I have known for some time that, despite his calm and collected outward demeanor, Dean has been personally hurt by the constant barrage of harsh personal attacks on his character and professionalism leveled by some partisan extremists and elected officials. It is truly unfortunate that some unscrupulous people bent on partisan gain have chosen to treat Dean very unfairly as they have worked to undermine confidence in our elections system.
"Still, I was pleased to learn that his strong record of service through extremely trying times has not been lost on his peers in his chosen profession. I am happy that, after so many difficult days and months in which he has displayed tremendous grace under pressure, he will now have a chance to make use of his professional skills and vast knowledge of elections procedures in a more congenial environment. On behalf of the citizens of King County, I offer him my heartfelt thanks and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
"Replacing Dean Logan will be a challenge, and not only because individuals of his expertise in administering elections are few and far between. It has not been lost on me that despite several successful elections and three outside reviews that have praised the immense progress the department has made under Dean's leadership, our entire Elections staff continues to operate in very difficult circumstances. The toxic political environment created by some unhinged partisan critics has made recruiting professionals of Dean's caliber much more difficult.
"This is a wake up call. For the sake of the voters and the integrity of future elections I call on the Council to rise above partisanship and establish an atmosphere of trust, collaboration and joint problem solving. We need to work together to keep the Dean Logan's of the world here and not drive them out."
"Nonetheless, I am determined to ensure that the transition to a new director be a smooth one, and that all the gains we have made during Dean's tenure are not lost. I am heartened by the fact that Dean will be here over the next five weeks as we work on finding a replacement to step into what are very large shoes.
"Dean is a talented person, but he does not run elections by himself. The steady improvements and drive towards excellence have been a true partnership between the dozens of dedicated county elections staff and the thousands of volunteers who selflessly serve the public every time we cast a ballot. We have already begun the search for Dean's replacement but I have every confidence that our Elections team will step up once again in the primary and general elections and deliver fair, accurate and transparent results.
"As for the vote-by-mail transition proposal currently before Council, my staff and I will evaluate over the next few weeks how Dean's decision to move on will affect the plan. With Dean's departure, it may not be possible to implement the plan by the 2007 primary as originally envisioned," Sims said.