Steve Beal

* Re “Two Area Men Among Finalists for County CAO,” Sept. 3.

I applaud the retention of Steve Beal as one of the top candidates for county chief administrative officer. I encourage the Board of Supervisors to step out and select Steve as our next CAO.

In this article, union leader Barry Hammitt said, “Beal is unfamiliar with county government.” However, I submit that he has demonstrated a tremendous amount of government management talent by his successful leadership of the Point Mugu Naval Air Station during some extremely trying times. At a time when defense downsizing was taking a huge toll, Steve stepped “out of the box” of the commanding officer convention and pursued new business with the help of county leadership. The result has been a more vital base with the addition of new aircraft squadrons.

His leadership initiatives were not limited to simply running a base of 10,000 people. New ideas and imaginative ways to capitalize on the research and development areas at the base were also part of his interest. Some of the contacts he made for our R&D; [research and development] business areas are just now starting to pay off.

In today’s environment, “business as usual” has taken on a new dimension. The ability to think outside the box has become key to any successful enterprise, whether it is public or private. Steve Beal has proven his ability in this area.

Maybe it’s time to look at opportunity from a fresh perspective. If Ventura County is interested in a solid, proven leader with a track record of being able to do more with less and do it better, then I certainly hope the board selects Mr. Beal.

JOHN W. FOSS

Somis