Denison Making a Mark

If you're not involved in politics of the nitty-gritty partisan variety, you've probably not met (nor heard of) Matt Denison.

Get to know him now. Denison has assumed the office of Deputy Director of Operations. He'll bear special responsibility for New Albany's IT functions and, it is said, will likely chair the weekly meetings of the Board of Public Works & Safety. The BPWS is the place where residents can seek city action. It is a powerful operation, with oversight of the streets department, the fire department, and the police department.

We've had numerous occasions to interact with the young man over the past four years, and with a few limited exceptions involving differences in who we support(ed) in the three election seasons that passed, we've found Matt to be sincere in his efforts to remember the "service" part of public service.

Denison has served as the No. 2 in the building commissioner's office under each of its occupants during the Garner administration. As the "inside" guy, he shepherded all the applications for local building permits and tried to make the process relatively painless.

We'll make three observations about Denison: His appointment is a sign of Mayor England's responsiveness to the need for a seamless communications/technology program; he is a hard-working, loyal, and political fellow; and he has shown sterling resolution in his personal life.

First, the IT Portfolio

Perhaps by default, Denison has become the city's information technology (read: computers deep read: IT) guy. Most cities our size would have one or more staffers completely dedicated to this function. New Albany has never made a serious commitment to a modern communication and administration regime that incorporates the advances of technology, so "call Matt" became the substitute.

When reactionists talk about waste in government, they rarely protest the sweetheart technology deals that municipalities routinely engage in. In the old days, it was pretty easy to drop 100 Gs for rudimentary computers. Nowadays, it's not the hardware, or even the software, but the Web design, operation, and hosting that offers opportunity to repay favors.

To whatever extent New Albany invests its resources in developing a vigorous in-house technology capability, it will be reducing government waste. That investment begins with a bestowal of confidence in the staff, followed by a vision to make the best use of what we'll call "online government."

A fossil like myself will undoubtedly become less and less interested in seeking out every new development (Facebook and MySpace, IM, the iPhone) - they simply seem frivolous. But our children and their children (those who are interested) will probably have subscriptions to government comm-blasts embedded in their outer- (or under-) wear.

The city simply can't wait until that day to adapt to modern communications. Denison's elevation is a sign that the mayor, who had graduated from college before the first personal computer was invented, knows that a lean government must govern smart.

Second: The Politician

Denison is paying his dues. He was, for the most part, loyal to the past administration. He pulled his weight (more about that later) in campaign after campaign, most notably in last year's county elections for New Albany Township Trustee and for Sheriff. Denison was highly visible in both campaigns and has steadily built up a lot of credibility within the Democratic Party, despite his relative youth.

This appointment is a logical next step for Denison. Having chosen public service, he has learned how to advance his career. We have no idea if Denison aspires to elective office, but he's doing all the right things to prosper as a government employee.

Third: The Guy With Discipline

It has been something of a trend among a few of the men who gravitate to the third floor to address oppressive weight problems. We can't help but admire Denison, who shed what appears to be about 70 pounds over the past two or three years. Unlike many of us who keep adding five-pound bags of sugar to our daily loads, Denison recognized a "growing" problem and made it go away. We're truly talking "Biggest Loser" territory here.

Congratulations to Matt Denison on climbing another rung on the ladder. We hope you'll remember that who writes the checks is different from who pays the bills.