UPDATED: Council Confirms Michael Smith as Development Ombudsman (VIDEO)
At the June 16th Montgomery County Council meeting, Councilmembers confirmed Michael Smith as development ombudsman. Smith was nominated for the new post by County Executive Isiah Leggett.
ORIGINAL POST In this MyMCMedia extra video, County Executive Isiah Legget nominates real estate executive Michael Smith for the new post of Development Ombudsman.
The selection of an ombudsman is part of Leggett’s intention, as stated in his inaugural address last December, to “refocus on our economic growth and shared prosperity and put to rest some misperceptions about the business climate in Montgomery County.” As part of his six-point economic development plan outlined in the speech, the Executive recommended appointing “…a Development Ombudsperson to help facilitate problem-solving and ensure transparency and responsiveness for our business community.”
“We have found the ideal candidate in Michael Smith who brings a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors and an enthusiastic, dynamic approach to the job of helping businesses to locate and expand in the County,” said Leggett.
Smith brings to the position a private-sector real estate development perspective spanning more than 25 years. Through his years in development, he has been responsible for all aspects of private projects from conceptualization, financial and market feasibility to financing and permitting and has led some of the most prominent projects in the Washington DC region.
Most recently, he was senior vice president/principal with LCOR Inc. in Bethesda and was principal with Centre Associates in Baltimore and Boston. His experience with Centre Associates also involved work with several high-profile public sector projects for the State of Massachusetts.
Smith has a B.A., with Honors, in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Northeastern University, and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The appointment of Smith is subject to confirmation by the County Council.
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