NORFOLK
City Manager Regina V.K. Williams filled two key openings in her administration over the weekend, naming the head of a major crime-fighting agency and the city's first "energy czar."
Barbara Lai, who served for most of this year as interim director of the Office of Community Empowerment, was named permanent director, according to a memorandum given to the City Council over the weekend.
Her primary duty will be to lead Project Focus, an effort started last year to fight crime and neighborhood deterioration in the East Ocean View, Huntersville and Wards Corner neighborhoods. She also will oversee projects such as gang intervention.
Denise S. Thompson, a graduate of Old Dominion University who for seven years was director of environmental policy for the Virginia Municipal League, was named Norfolk's manager of environmental protection programs.
Mayor Paul Fraim urged Williams more than a year ago to hire someone to coordinate efforts to cut the city's energy use. Thompson will oversee those efforts in all city agencies.
She begins work in early November.
Lai, who came to the city in 2000, is Norfolk's former budget director. She drew praise from neighborhood leaders during her term as interim director of the crime-fighting agency.
However, she has split time with other duties, including leading the city's animal management center.
"She has a good grasp of the problems," said Councilman W. Randy Wright, who represents East Ocean View.
"The problem has been that this is a full-time job and she's only been able to focus on it part time. I'm glad she'll finally be able to focus all of her attention" on the agency.
The position came open 10 months ago when Alphonso Albert stepped down after The Virginian-Pilot revealed the extent of his criminal record. He had a 1977 conviction for manslaughter and numerous drug convictions in the 1980s, which council members were not aware of when Williams announced his appointment a year ago. Albert joined the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project as an administrator in January.
Williams also announced that Ron Williams, head of the city's intergovernmental relations, has been named a special assistant to her.
Among his responsibilities will be city relations with the Navy and the Ryan White program, which provides federal money to needy AIDS patients in Hampton Roads. In his previous pos t, Ron Williams monitored legislative initiatives with the federal and state governments, serving as the city's chief lobbyist.
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Anyone is better than the last choice
This goes to show that even a little vetting prior to appointing someone to a job is better than none. This is how we avoid having convicted felons appointed to city management positions.
City Manager
Congratulations to your new appointees.
Good
Now maybe we can get some help in regards to the gang issue in Norfolk. It's about time they(the city)appointed someone to get involved with this too long neglected aspect of the city. I hope she will do well and hopefully we can start to see a change in Norfolk. Good luck Ms. Lai
What Now
The last director was a convicted felon that, had his shady past hidden from the City Manager by a close friend and Councilman. What do we need to know about Mrs. Lai? Hopefully she has at least some idea and experience as to what working WITH the Police means. If she doesn't work out maybe you guys can have Portsmouth's Mayor Holley take the position, --- we would help him move over there --- free of charge! Mayor Holley and Paul Riddick --- now thats what I call forward thinking!
OK....
...WE'LL SEE!!!