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PRESS RELEASE
Gray Names High-Level Public Safety Leadership to Restore Coordination, Accountability & Create Safer CommunitiesMayor-Elect Vince Gray today made four key public safety appointments to press forward the Gray Administration's mission and goals to create a safer District of Columbia. Gray is re-establishing the position of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and named Paul A. Quander, Jr. to this very important post. The Mayor-Elect also announced the nominations of Cathy Lanier for Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Irvin Nathan for Attorney General, and Kenneth Ellerbe for Chief of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. The police chief, fire chief and attorney general must be confirmed by the D.C. Council. Mayor-Elect Gray's remarks follow: I've repeatedly said we cannot talk about giving our children a high-quality education or creating jobs for residents without discussing how to create safer communities. The government must ensure the safety and well-being of the people who live, work and visit here. We've made some progress in the past decade in some areas of public safety. However, we've been stagnant or gone backwards in others. The quality of public safety services continues to vary by ward and neighborhood. My plan for public safety is geared toward making sure people are safe and protected, and feel safe and protected regardless of where they live, work or play. There are many pieces in the District's public safety and justice system...including with the Metropolitan Police Department, more than 30 police forces, federal jurisdiction of the city's court system, the D.0 Jail, Fire and EMS, Homeland Security, Unified Communications...The list goes on. Therefore, I believe now is the time to restore coordination and accountability in the District's public safety operations. Therefore, I am re-establishing the position of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and naming Paul A. Quander, Jr. to this very important post. In Mr. Quander, I have nominated a recognized expert and leader in crime and justice issues. He has the experience to coordinate the different sectors of a complex public safety system. Quander is currently the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council - or CJCC. The Coordinating Council is an independent agency that was created by Congress and the Council of the District of Columbia to coordinate multi-agency efforts to ensure a comprehensive assessment and plan of action to enhance public safety and justice here. As the Executive Director, Quander was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office, which supports criminal justice practitioners in the nation's capital. Quander's experience with collaborative efforts at CJCC—where he also served as co-chair for two prior years—place him on track to take on the position of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice in my administration. He will be responsible for developing meaningful links between the police department, other city agencies and non-governmental organizations that can help eliminate the conditions that breed crime and threaten public safety. Prior to heading the Coordinating Council, Quander was the Director of Medical Services for the Metropolitan Police Department. He was responsible for managing the police and fire clinic and occupational health care services for District and federal law enforcement officers and first responders. In 2002, President Bush appointed Mr. Quander as the Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. During his six-year federal appointment, Paul Quander made CSOSA a national leader in the supervision of people on probation and parole. Quander is a graduate of Virginia State University and the Howard University School of Law; He is a native Washingtonian and lives in Ward 7. Working very closely with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, will be my nominee for Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department: Cathy Lanier. Four years after becoming the District's "top cop," Chief Lanier enjoys an 80 percent job approval rating among D.C. residents, according to a recent Clams poll. The public's confidence in her abilities results from the great progress in reducing crime and violence that she and the police force have achieved. Chief Lanier, however, recognizes that we can do better. She has been a big advocate of community policing as a way to gain public cooperation, respect and confidence in the police force. By accepting this appointment, Chief Lanier will join my administration in making community policing an ever higher priority. She has signed-on to implement an anti-crime strategy that involves, community policing, education, even-handed enforcement and arrests, social services, and certainty of punishment. Chief Lanier has spent her entire law enforcement career with the Metropolitan Police Department, beginning in 1990. Most of her career has been in uniformed patrol. She has served as Commander of the Fourth District, Commanding Officer of the Major Narcotics Branch and Vehicular Homicide Units, Commander of the Special Operations Division, and Commanding Officer of the Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism Branch. Chief Lanier is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. She holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Management from Johns Hopkins University and lives in Ward 5. Assisting the Chief of Police and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice in combating crime will be Irvin B. Nathan, my nominee for the Attorney General of the District of Columbia. Mr. Nathan has been the General Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007. In that role he provided non-partisan legal advice and representation for House members and staff. Prior Capitol Hill experience included Special Minority Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senior Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. When then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Mr. Nathan as General Counsel, she praised "Iry Nathan's outstanding reputation and record of accomplishment in private practice and in government service." From 1994 to 2007, Mr. Nathan was a senior partner at Arnold & Porter. He was Chairman of the White Collar Criminal Defense Department. Mr. Nathan also has been a Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Justice Department, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, and remains a member of the UDC Law School Foundation Board. Nathan will join me in taking politics out of the Office of the Attorney General. Public safety decisions can't be based on political motives that cloud the judgment of those empowered to apply the law and serve the people of the District of Columbia. Last week I appointed Brian K. Flowers General Counsel to the Mayor. Both men possess high integrity, and as Mr. Flowers and Mr. Nathan both serve the residents of the District of Columbia, they Will be clear about their different roles and responsibilities. Mr. Nathan lives in Ward 3. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Columbia Law School. In the areas of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, there have been far too many questions raised about the responsiveness and quality of care provided by the D.C. Fire Department and EMS. The tragic death of David Rosenbaum in January of 2006 highlighted critical problems in emergency medical services. And recent public failures illustrate the need for greater focus on EMS reforms that resulted from the Rosenbaum review. Leading these reform efforts will be Kenneth B. Ellerbe as Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Mr. Ellerbe has been Chief of the Sarasota County Fire and Emergency Services Department since August of 2009. He is credited with initiating highly successful community involvement programs and departmental succession plans. Prior to going to Florida, Ellerbe served more than 27 years with D.C. FEMS, rising from firefighter to Deputy Chief. He held various leadership positions, including Director of Community Outreach, Division Commander, Fire Marshal, and Director of Training. Chief Ellerbe has the intimate knowledge and understanding of the complexities of DC FEMS. He will be responsible for strong control and oversight of its budget to prevent overspending nd ensure that funding is used to improve service delivery. He will collaborate with front-line workers to run a world-class fire and emergency medical system. Mr. Ellerbe has the desire to build on positive changes and to tackle the challenges facing the department to ensure fast, efficient and high-quality response to residents and others in need. Mr. Ellerbe is a graduate of Coolidge High School and holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of the District of Columbia. Ken Ellerbe is a native Washingtonian and will live in the home he has maintained in Ward 7 upon his return from Sarasota. These four public safety leaders will work with me to ensure that police, fire, emergency and legal services and initiatives are planned and delivered in a coordinated fashion to win the public's trust. I welcome them to the Gray Administration. |
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