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'I WOULD BE HONORED' | Chairwoman could land in Treasury
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Already searching for a replacement for Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, who is President-elect Obama's choice to serve as U.S. education secretary, it looks like Mayor Daley will soon have another top job to fill thanks to Chicagoans heading for Washington.
CTA Board Chairwoman Carole Brown is itching to join the Obama administration -- possibly in the Treasury Department. Last year, the Harvard-educated Brown, whose background is in municipal finance, lost a high-paying job here after the demise of Lehman Brothers, only to land on her feet at Mesirow Financial.
"Like anyone, I would be honored if asked to serve," said Brown, who succeeded Valerie Jarrett, the longtime Obama family friend and now assistant to the new president, in chairing the CTA board. "So far, that has not happened. . . . I have not been offered any position in the Obama administration.
Like most Americans, I'm just so proud of our president-elect. Anything I could do to make his administration a success, I would want to do."
If Brown goes to Washington, a possible replacement would be former Chicago Housing Authority chief Terry Peterson, who managed Daley's 2007 re-election campaign and turned down an offer to become the mayor's chief of staff shortly after Daley's landslide victory.
Two years ago, Daley appointed Brown to a new term on the CTA board that expires in 2013. A few months later, Brown's days appeared to be numbered, after the mayor dispatched his then-chief of staff Ron Huberman to the CTA to become its president and day-to-day boss.
Brown and Huberman had clashed during his days as chief of staff. Huberman asked to work with a new CTA chair. Brown also had a tense relationship with former CTA President Frank Kruesi.
But Brown, who started writing a blog to CTA riders, and Huberman evolved into a compatible team. They made a series of budget cuts and technology and customer-service improvements, survived the threat of "doomsday" fare hikes and service cuts with a Springfield bailout and raised fares when expenses rose, revenues declined and Gov. Blagojevich ordered free rides for seniors.
At board meetings, Huberman and Brown sometimes seem like an old married couple, even finishing each other's sentences.
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Those who know her say her honesty and candor will help.
"If she says she's going to do something, she delivers," says Valerie Jarrett, CEO of Habitat Corp., who preceded Ms. Brown as CTA chairwoman. "That gives her a level of credibility with the Legislature and the public that will allow her to build political support for the financial support the CTA needs."
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She's candid, alright. I heard her testify .. she wants that $500M ... somehow, sickeningly, as part of "the network," I think she'll get it.
I've just about given up that Chicago will lose the Olympics .. with the O-man at 1600 Penn, I'll bet it'll happen and the standard pockets plus, plus, plus will be lined, the Chicago way.