Good Governance

On Thursday May 16th, at 8pm at 6329 Windermere Circle, North Bethesda, MD 20852 (all are invited to this fundraiser), I am holding a Dessert Reception and Panel Discussion entitled: Leadership in Montgomery County - Good Governance in Theory and Practice. Elected officials and leaders in our community will be discussing what constitutes Good Governance, how these ideals can be reconciled with the execution of their official duties, and what should ideally motivate an individual to rise to a position of leadership.

This event is featuring a panel discussion on Good Governance in order to make clear the foundations of this campaign. I wish to learn about the intersection of idealism and pragmatism from those who have lived with the responsibilities of community leadership here in Montgomery County.

For me, Good Governance can be summed up in one word: Integrity. Being whole in oneself, having one’s thoughts and behaviors in accord, fulfilling one’s responsibilities, and honoring one’s commitments are all hallmarks of leadership properly executed. One should be motivated to leave the world just a little bit better than one found it, while acknowledging that in so doing, altruism intersects with self-interest; there is no more rewarding or fulfilling vocation than the dedication of one’s life to the betterment of the community and our fellow citizens. History has bequeathed us the wisdom that only in becoming part of something larger than ourselves may we find greater meaning in our lives.

Good Governance, at its foundations, is constituted by honesty to oneself and forthrightness in dealings with one’s constituency. This moral courage provides a bulwark against political tides that may threaten to deviate our paths from what is indicated by our internal compass. Moral courage is the mortar that binds together the bricks of efficiency, effectiveness, attentiveness, knowledge, and tenacity that together constitute government at its best.