| Show Zbe5altakeZribunt - -Lifestyles LIFESTYL S Desk: ' 237-207- 5 SUNDAY F8 April 4 1993 CENTS Former ad executive uses his expertise to push for equity ImuwwolfmkorAtRige MY - By Kim S Hirsh Looking for real clout? DC staffers hare it Who are the most powerful lobbyists in America? The Teamsters? The National Rifle Association? The American Association of Retired Persons? Nope While all of these groups influence elected officials far and above what their numbers or causes would justify the real power in Washington DC and in our own state government is in the hands of staff By staff I do not mean career government employees The folks who plasticize your driver's t7latF ILE "Bud" - Scruggs t license audit your taxes and process your government check may have job security but they really only have enough power to make one person miserable at P time To find real power — power — you have to look to those men and women hired directly by the elected officials themselves No merit system protects these appointees They serve at the pleasure of those who serve at the pleasure of the voters When a staffer's boss loses an election the staffer loses a job One of the reasons property values have stayed so strong in Utah over the winter months is the mass homecoming of hundreds of Utah Republicans who worked in the Reagan and Bush administrations The salary of most politically appointed staff is almost as bad as the job security It's not as if they qualify for food stamps but most key staffers could make a lot more money as lobbyists Which of course is why so many staffers quit to become lobbyists But even the lobbyists find themselves longing for the days when they had the power they wielded as underpaid staffers What is the source of staff power? Appointed staff have a huge impact on where and with whom the elected official spends time the information to which the official has useful access and to a surprising extent the words the official speaks or writes Regardless of campaign vows to the contrary soon after taking office the beleaguered public servant finds the schedule so pressing and the issues so complicated that the capacity for controlling one's own life is forgotten if not forsaken We are good at keeping our public officials overwhelmed They are not only expected to attend every grand opening annual conference and monthly civic club but also to speak authoritatively on the public policy topic of the host's choosing Furthermore dozens of letters and calls a day must be answered meetings attended and decisions made The amount of trust today's elected officials are forced — it really is not optional — to have in staffers is unimaginable As in any situation of great trust there are certain ethical obligations which attach to those who find themselves doing staff stuff Here are two guiding principles every staffer frame and hang ought to over his or her desk First the "honest broker" ethic Those who serve as gate keepers and policy advisers owe it to their bosses to provide an opportunity to those who hold diverse opinions to make their case before important decisions are made This allows the elected official to hear other sides of the issue and to benefit from differing perspectives Furthermore it reduces the likelihood of unanticipated consequences Prominent political officials hate surprises Most are willing to make difficult even controversial decisions so long as they have a general idea of the predictable repercussions By encouraging access to those with dissenting opinions the decision maker is aware of the effects and reactions of various policy alternatives The second ethic derives from the Quaker proverb "Speak truth to power" More staffers need to be willing to argue with their bosses and with other of their boss's advisers In the political world sycophants are in rich supply staffers with the courage and the intelligence to forcefully make the unpopular case are precious — especially those with the discipline to keep such policy disagreements confidential even if their advice is rejected and horrible consequences follow Should we blame staffers every time an elected official makes a stupid decision? Absolutely not The buck and the blame stop with the people we elected So if they allow themselves and their constituents to be victimized by incompetent or cowardly staff we ought to replace them with leaders who will surround themselves with the capable and the courageous policy-makin- g g budget-bustin- g best-pai- d cross-stitc- h ILE "Bud" Scruggs is former chief of staff to Gov Norm Bangerter and a visiting assistant professor of political science at Brigham Young University CHICAGO TRIBUNE s SOUTHPORT Conn — His letters to the editor pop up nationwide extolling the leadership skills of women When women candidates for Congress or state office delivered their stump speeches in recent elections he was often standing in the back with an encouraging smile and some business associates he'd brought along to help their campaigns And at meetings of national women's political groups he is there one of a few men among hundreds of women shaking hands and spreading the word in his personal quest: getting women into government office He is George A Dean 63 a retired advertising executive with a Harvard MBA and a boardroom demeanor who founded and operates a bipartisan group called 5050 by 2000 Its goal is to boost the number of women in state and federal governments to half by the turn of the century Dean is not your typical political activist "There aren't too many men out there talking about giving power away to women" says Harriett Woods president of the National Women's Political Caucus in Washington Woods says she was so taken by Dean her "antenna went up" she said after she spotted his letters in many national publications — tha' she invited him to speak at one of the caucus' national meetings about a year ago where Woods says he was a hit Leaders of national women's political groups say that while many men contribute money to women politicians' campaigns Dean's zeal in promoting women for office makes him unusual "I don't know another single man that's doing anything like what George is doing" said Glenda Greenwald president of Wish List a national organization that supports Republican women candidates for Congress and governors' seats Dean personally contributes to Wish List and other major women's political groups Republican and Democratic Dean who lives with his wife Jane in this posh town on Long Island Sound that's home to many New York executives says he founded his group in 1988 because the country will be better off with more women running it Because their life experiences are of 0°-- 4- - - A i 104 - —4'12"4"1"norittik4Fi'' ' I it $t ' ': 1- 1"11411111111111114- ' Z 4 rgool i t - I 1 s !!k(ilk i t 1 Z 1 I 1 - sion Customers come in for the signing with hearts palpitating Because women are more caring they can put customers at ease Women too are more and can deal more easily with the paper work required" It doesn't hurt either that Ms Garner graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in psychology "I use what I learned in dealing with people It's especially good for working with employees and understanding what motivates people" Moving from psychology to mortgage banking was not a goal "Graduating with a degree in psychology is not enough to get a job A master's is required A PhD is better I also wasn't sure that I was cut out for dealing with people's problems or abnormal behavdetail-oriente- d ior" Seeking what she called marketable skills she applied to graduate school and was accepted earning a master's of business administration in 1971 All the e while she kept her job at United Savings Bank where she worked her bookway up from an accounts-payabldirecand to vice senior president keeper tor of Western Mortgage and a senior vice president of United Savings Bank residential mortgage operations before being named CEO when John "Jack" B Goddard retired in 1992 Ms Garner who has been with the companies 23 years with Paul A Neuenschwander president of United Savings Bank and Chad E Mullins pres part-tim- e tik - VI -'-' r- : - NaiA1 AL tcs-- ' " ' ' ' i ' ' A - !" '' ' ' - Aee (" 'Itti & ' '':' ' ' :i7 ' 1 tr — trf '''' ' 444404''''' :' 11 0 oOfe'""k''1°00°°°°°000111ovVooryr 416 41ramilliii4400 4 010°101:' ' 4 4 ' ' APROPIca --re 4'' George SmithChicago Tribune George Dean says he grew tired of seeing "all these blue and black suits" on TV discussing child care and abortion ten different from men's Dean says women are often more willing and capable than men of handling such issues as health care child care education and other compelling problems facing the nation "Women can bring to the table something that men haven't been bringing to the table" says Dean He also says that for years he saw how effective women can be in the business world and doesn't understand why the same can't happen in politics "1 think you'll find that women are less concerned with getting their bill passed and more concerned with getting the bloody job done" Even with the big wins for women in the 1992 election only 10 of Congress is female and about 20 of members of state legislatures are women according to the Center for the American Woman and Politics at Rutgers University With - 4tilt J !!:::7 ri - $'''' r" ItIP I 1 ' 1:9 r -- - 1r7"191' f 4 8:i - k ' r - i le 1 '" t rr s Column 6 0 Surprise pregnancy: blessing or curse? I ' tL 1 ' ' -- w s o74 F-1- ' r- - 11 " re 0 See — - 1 --4 t:- ' - ing bumper stickers and buttons with the "5050" slogan to its 240000 members and at women's conventions run by other groups Tunick said The message he said will be that "women have made a lot of progress but are a long way from getting an equal position in the marketplace" Though 40 of all managers executives and administrators are women only 43 of the corporate officers of Fortune 500 companies are women and women college graduates earn the same (about $26000) as male high school graduates according to the National Association for Female Executives Dean was executive vice president of the New York advertising firm Dancer Fitzgerald Sample When Dean and his picker-upper- r vf NI tt - t- dation The association will be distribut- those numbers leaders of national women's groups such as Woods Greenwald and Jane Danowitz executive director of the Women's Campaign Fund in Washington say Dean's goal of 50 by the turn of the century is unrealistic Even Dean admits it's unlikely But as an advertising executive for 32 years who directed such campaigns as " that for "Bounty the quicker and another for "Bring out the Hellmann's and bring out the best" Dean says he understands the importance of marketing And his latest campaign is catching on The National Association for Female Executives recently got Dean's permission to adopt the "5050 by 2000" slogan in a campaign to promote women in business and politics according to George Tunick publisher of Executive Female magazine which is produced by the asso - Dear Ann Landers: This is in response to "Nameless Faceless and Placeless" who was 46 years old and pregnant and her husband didn't want the baby You said he sounded like a "nutcase" with 514YYtm:ft t ' tk'S 4:- ''''"" " '''''l ' - oil ' ' S "olfr:74 : i ' 1 ' 1 "strudel in his noodle" ' 4 ''' te-- 4(r144: :tegoolfAj 1::e- :1::i:: :' - :: - ':: - ' ' '''' ( v - ''°'!'" - ----- N t( i A ' 4 I : ! ) set - 1 :- - 0 y t'' - - 9 L--:7':---: '4' 4f Ac A 116lei0-"- - 0—' C t'--:i- " ' ' ' Al HartmannThe Salt Lake Tribune not having any more children should put a lock on his zipper or get a vasectomy Dear Ann Landers: May I say man something to the who was furious when he learned that his wife was pregnant? In December 1953 I found out I was expecting again I was 39 and my husband was 53 We already had five children ages 9 to 20 I prayed to God to take this baby from me I didn't need another child We were having a hard time supporting the five we had I was beside myself Ann that pregnancy was the easiest of all I had a healthy baby girl in September 1954 When that child was 8 I had an accident and needed to depend on her since all the older children had left home Then after my husband died again my precious little girl who had taken care of her father helped see me through When I remarried and her stepfather became ill she was there for me again Now I am very ill and that same child has allowed me to live in her home where she is caring for me When I asked God what I would do with another baby he sent this child to show me That change-o- f life baby changed my life in ways I never dreamed possible So please tell that woman who wrote that she should thank God for having blessed her in this special way — DAM Warner Robins Ga Dear DMW: Thank you for bringing some sanity and compassion to the table Mary Ann Garner chief executive officer of United Savings Bank and Western Mortgage Loan Corp considers women well suited for mortgage banking ident of Western Mortgage comprise the executive committee that directs and oversees operations of the companies Mr Goddard serves as chairman of the board Ms Garner described the mortgage-lendin- g business as feast or famine Business depends on the mortgage-lendinrate When interest rates are low business booms When high competition is tough There is currently a boom with lenders everywhere buried in paper work and red tape "Employees logged 700 hours in overtime in 1992 "There aren't enough qualified appraisers to fill the need" She laments the red tape involved when dealing with the government "The Federal Housing Authority has one telephone line We've had to hire a person to keep calling the number to get g through" "When a person applies for a car loan he or she gets an answer within 36 hours A mortgage loan can take up to six weeks" Bulging file folders attest to the numbers of regulations the government imposes Each year a new regulation is added She used job verification as an example "We once had to call an applicant's employer for job verification Now we call and must have a recent paycheck stub plus the applicant's W-- form" While she believes banking is a good employment goal for women — the cur 2 :':: w::: Really Ann You must be joking How can you fault a man who will be damn near 70 years old when his kid finally graduates college? Can you blame the guy for wanting peace and quiet in his retirement? You were much too hard on him — Irate in Metairie La Dear Irate: I don't buy your beef A man who feels so strongly about 4 ' 1A 04 eViel'''''' 4'(loot 1 V'''4':' L 44 i ' f r'' ' ' $ $ $' ilv 4 lt i ' 1144 - f :1i ! vs"" - s Atit7:1 Ann Landers ' qt! - Ilk ii1' ' ti- It igifi 1g ' ar - :'j::"'IiiI"': l:':::w-'-4- rent ratio of men and women at her bank — she cautions there are still too is 50-5- 0 many banks thus more consolidations and fewer jobs She likes the challenge of her new job "It's a learning experience" What's missing is her closer relationship with employees "I'm the same person but the new title acts as an invisible barrier People don't drop in to chat anymore" Ms Garner uses her psychology skills with her "babies" Shetland sheep dogs Nettie and Willie "Dogs and people require the same things — repetition reward and rein- forcement" Besides the bank and her dogs Ms Garner has civic interests and responsibilities She is a member of Utah State Retirement System board of directors on the Salt Lake Board of Realtors committee on the Mortgage Bankers Association board of directors and on the U of U David Eccles School of Business Alumni Board Ms Garner is an outdoors enthusiast "Being in the mountains restores my soul" she said She and husband Don a marketing manager for Evans & Sutherland share a leisure goal — to travel and document every road in Utah "I have stacks of scrapbooks and every time we find a new road I take a picture for documentation" If being CEO is a learning experience Ms Garner got a recent lesson she hopes she won't have to repeat United Savings Bank was robbed She had to talk to fair-housin- g I i - ' 0x walls are nervous experiencing second thoughts andor doubts about their deci- 4 tt PP xk 1 'I THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE soft-spok- tn 4 k§ikt'Illk r ' The bears have more to do with the CEO's leisure pursuits than any philosophical approach to mortgage banking She and husband Don Garner traveled to Katmai Alaska three years ago and spent their vacation sharing space with protected grizzlies Three of the bear photographs are her own One of her hobbies is nature photography There's nothing bearish about the Ms Garner who has had her current post nine months In fact being a woman is an asset when it comes to assisting customers signing a contract for Possibly the biggest lifetime investment anyone ever makes "Mortgages are complicated People - '' By Carolyn Monson The newly decorated office of Mary Ann Garner chief executive officer for United Savings Bank and Western Mortgage Loan Corp boasts a huggable bear on the sofa and grizzlies at play on the 4 '4 Bearish banker? This CEO relies on 'people skills' - ' o 4 1'NPWW6pWOMMMwfft!ws 1 1 |
