May 15, 2008

Top Official in Education Dept. to Lead Business-School Consortium

Washington — Diane Auer Jones, the Education Department’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education, is leaving office at the end of the month to become president of the Washington Campus, a consortium of university business schools.

Ms. Jones told her staff on Wednesday of her plans to leave the department, only a year after being nominated to the post by President Bush.

Ms. Jones said she had hoped to remain through the end of the Bush administration, in January 2009, but decided to leave early after receiving an offer to replace the Washington Campus’s president, who is retiring. The consortium was founded in 1978 to help business schools train corporate executives in the process of policy making in Washington.

The opportunity was a case of “the perfect job coming at not the perfect time,” Ms. Jones told The Chronicle.

Although the Bush administration still has eight months remaining, Ms. Jones said she would be leaving at an appropriate time in the Education Department’s calendar. Several critical regulatory processes have been finished, and all of the department’s major grant competitions, for which she is responsible, have now been completed, Ms. Jones said. —Paul Basken

Comments

1. Get out before Obama comes!!

   — macke    May 16, 06:12 AM    #

2. and of course next year there will be yet another “perfect” (code for political appointment) job for our Ms. Jones. what a joke. and to think she accomplished so much in so short a time —- just remarkable.

   — the unreal marci, but not the 1st or 2nd    May 16, 07:19 AM    #

3. The Washington Campus is a great program. Having gone through it, I can tell you it provided top level dialogue with top level people from government and industry.

   — Fred Hintermister    May 16, 11:47 AM    #

4. Aaah, yet another criminal position yielded up by Washington’s revolving door.

   — Eric    May 16, 01:14 PM    #

5. Before You Criticize, Know Who You Are Dealing With!

   Diane Auer Jones has a remarkable story to tell, but given her humble, self-depreciating nature, would probably be the last one to tell it. Once again, she is the center of attention for leaving behind one challenge where she contributed much for a new challenge where her talents are eagerly awaited.

   There’s a sad undercurrent in much criticism directed at Diane Auer Jones. Here’s a person who is in high demand for her talents and abilities, who, by virtue of having an assistant cabinet level position, would be in search of a new position by year’s end regardless, seized the moment and found an opportunity that is a great match for her talent. And she is to be faulted for what reasons?

   Ms. Jones is a person known for her honesty, high standards, and fascination with learning. Through out her professional life, she has shown the ability to learn fast and get results. She would never be accused of trampling over or taking advantage of others. Anyone examining her background for a hint of scandal or spicy behavior will surely be bored to death. Diane Auer Jones, guilty of being boring were it not for her upbeat, engaging personality.

   Hard at work and in action, Jones is a person who is well-prepared, respectful, and sharp-witted. Diane Auer Jones is a person who’d sooner tell her audience, “I don’t know,” rather than spin and tap-dance. However, if she doesn’t know, she’ll find out, quickly, thoroughly, and professionally.

   So where’s the beef? Smart people with agreeable personalities who do good work and get results will hopefully always be in high demand. If she were motivated by high financial reward, high-visibility status positions, or loads of coverage all over the media, she could go a lot further up the ladder than she has so far. However, much to the delight of those she has worked for, there’s not even the slightest trace of opportunism in her makeup.

   Diane Auer Jones’ accomplishments are rich and varied. Her knowledge is tremendous from microbiology, educational systems and processes at all levels, entrepreneurship, and government policy. Diane has rich and varied tastes in music, architecture, fine arts, and literature. Ms. Jones was once even a pioneer in holistic and alternative medicine. Her skill repertoire shows her prepared for a multitude of challenges. All that, and most obvious of all, she’s a very nice person who has no problem poking fun at herself.

   Should anyone find himself or herself in an adversarial position against Ms. Jones, one should be prepared, thoroughly researched, and possess impeccable logic and reasoning skills. Those diminishing Diane Auer Jones with vague personal attacks, questioning her motivation, or trying to tarnish her through guilt-by-association scenarios will find their arguments looking petty, mean-spirited and way off target while Ms. Jones will competently master the task at hand.

   Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Diane Auer Jones story. It will be a tough research project because she’s a very private person who has not sought the press clippings or spent her time in those self-promoting social circles where the climbers go to see and be seen. Her time off work is family time in the relative obscurity in a very quiet western suburb of Baltimore worlds apart from the Washington DC power scene where she could easily pass off as the grownup version of the traditional girl next door.

   — Rob Bannister    May 16, 09:00 PM    #

6. “Rob”, you need to get a real job…do hang tight to Jones skirt ‘cause it is well-known that Jones cheerleader comes with a very obviously short tenure…

   — o. please    May 16, 11:27 PM    #

7. If my salute to Diane Auer Jones’ career would make some see me as a cheerleader, so be it. I wear that distinction with pride. I have known Ms. Jones and followed her accomplishments for decades. Her intelligence, knowledge, and talent get results as documented by the escalating demand for her services that began when first invited into public service leaving behind her position as a biology professor and small business owner in Baltimore’s western suburbs for the World of Washington at NSF less than a decade ago. Her fresh approach, ability to learn and master new areas quickly, and work in a constructive, upbeat manner with many diverse individuals and groups made her the highly recruited emerging leader she is today. Her work speaks for itself. Agree or disagree with her positions and conclusions, her work is consistently thorough, thoughtful, and respectful. If this is cheerleading on my part, there’s no question what is Diane Jones’ number one asset, she’s just a good person. Her tremendous optimism and quirky self-mocking humor prepare her audience to work comfortably together ready to reach consensus on the issues of the day. Anyone looking for even the slightest hint of scandal or opportunism will find the honorable Ms. Jones boring beyond belief.

   Disagreeing with Diane Jones on policies and issues is fair game though anyone seeking to do such: be prepared. She will be. Sadly, more and more, public discourse, particularly on the part of the extreme left refuses to deal with issues in proper debate. Instead, all effort is dedicated to attacking the speaker, questioning her motives or mocking her character. How any concept of “yet another criminal position” could be inferred in any aspect of Ms. Jones’ performance or how she has exercised her responsibilities is both ignorant and intellectually dishonest.

   Sadly, all too often, the modus operandi is to ignore the issues, the accomplishments, and the substance to resort to cheap personal attacks and insinuations. That many opportunities have opened for Ms. Jones and she has taken advantage of them would be seen as a “joke” embraces some weird logic this writer doesn’t understand. The joke would be on us if talented people like Ms. Jones did not seize the moment and take that “perfect” job when made available. Surely, even the most loyal supporters of the Bush administration couldn’t fault Ms. Jones decision to move on given her next challenge provides her the opportunity to expand on many of the values and ideals she advanced since joining the administration in November, 2005. Her first challenge was playing a major role with the American Competitiveness Initiative. The Washington Campus program helps promote the vital relationship between business and government so essential to maintain the United States’ lead in the future development of science, technology and engineering.

   Watch for Diane Auer Jones’ talents to blossom as she transitions from working with more administrative issues like student loans and grant allocations to showing leadership and vision on how our most powerful institutions must work together to not only maintain our strategic lead in world affairs but to look toward the next generation of new technologies and products that benefit the world of the future.

   Every organization faces the challenge of identifying and recruiting the highest quality talent to serve in its leadership and creative rolls. The private sector is better positioned for success recognizing and rewarding its top contributors who constantly contribute to the enterprise’s bottom line. Market share, profitability, and brand recognition are far more tangible than trying to find comparable metrics for government service where all too often perceived power and influence bend with the prevailing political winds.

   The need for outstanding talent in government service has never been more apparent than it is now, not just higher education but all areas. That top level government jobs pay less than what such talent demands in the private sector is largely offset by the networking opportunities such service provides. However, net income is far from the only sacrifice demanded of such candidates, legitimate and proper assets and gains are subject to enormous scrutiny for the appearance of conflict of interest which must be eliminated or put in receivership during the public servant’s term of office. Every aspect of a person’s private life is fair game. Any pretense of privacy must be discarded.

   Sadly, many outstanding people forgo accepting top level nominations to avoid the humiliation and character assassination that has become common place. Reputations are ruined and lives disrupted simply for the desire of overly aggressive and partisan senators bloodying up a candidate to impress a particular constituency while special interest groups use the Internet, mass mailings, and talk radio to circulate vicious, mean-spirited misinformation on a candidate’s professional integrity.

   How can we not be disgusted by the spectacle of Judge Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearings where the barrage of questioning became so mean-spirited and personal that Justice Alito’s wife broke down crying live on the nation’s cable news networks?

   An assistant cabinet secretary’s appointment and resignation during the waning years of an embattled presidency may not be noteworthy historically. However, we’re all aware of the intense partisanship and gridlock that has made our national government such a dysfunctional embarrassment. Yet, even at her level, the tiresome techniques and their unjustified jabs surface in the news sources of higher education from their readers.

   I am no one but a private citizen, a former educator, with an active interest in all aspects of the field, fortunate enough to have watched Diane’s unique and creative growth as an intellect and professional. Diane Auer Jones has a loyal band of supporters from her home grounds in Baltimore County.

   Congratulations, Diane!

   — Rob Bannister    May 19, 08:27 PM    #

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