Wednesday, April 12, 2006
I got an anonymous comment tonight, in response to this post, as follows:is this the same jann brown that managed the johnson oil company in astoria oregon a few years back. there was talk then that she left with more cash than was hers. - 4/12/2006 05:53:44 PMI'm answering here, as well as in the comments for that post, in the hopes that our anonymous commenter might show up and drop a few more details, or shoot me an email, or something.
Others would know better than I, but the Jann O. Brown I'm referring to has worked at Multnomah County for at least as long as I have - I started in September 1999, and Jann had worked there for at least a year or two prior to that, I believe. I know that she also worked for the Army Corps of Engineers at one point, though I don't know exactly when.
The Jann I'm talking about is about 5'7", light brown hair, tanned, thin, in her 50s. That's all the details I can pull out of my brain right now but I have been drinking tonight.
If anyone knows any more, or if this is just an unfounded accusation, let me know. When I'm seeing straighter I'll try to google around and see what I come up with. In the meantime I'm just passing this along.
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Jann's been working for Multnomah County over 15 years. She was there when I was hired in October of 1991, and had been there at least a year or two.
is this the same jann brown that offered erraberra the opportunity to move from doc Services to IT, and the same JB that overrode Brian's supervisor to keep him past probation? Yeah, she's pretty awful.
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posted by 
:: 4/13/2006 12:38 PM
:: 4/13/2006 12:38 PM
Well, "Anonymous", I can't speak for Tracy, but from where I sit, your points only demonstrate what I think is Jann's biggest failure as a manager.
I have never run away from what Jann did for me at the time of my probation. I have talked openly about it in the past, in fact. It also formed a key part of my testimony in Lea's case.
My take has always been that Jann makes hiring and promotion decisions based on personal relationships rather than merit. Or seniority, which is a factor in union jobs. Just because I personally benefited from it at one time doesn't mean that it isn't a lousy way to manage.
Blatant favoritism is not a healthy way to manage. The favorites generally can rationalize it away, but it undercuts all the work the other team members do. Sure, in any job there's a role that personality plays, but at the end of the day, and especially in the tech field with it's focus on concrete results, not to mention a public agency with the emphasis on spending the taxpayers money wisely, merit has to be (or be seen to be) the primary means of making hiring decisions.
In my own case, it's also an example of the demoralizing way that Jann would undercut the manager that she hired - another example of personal relationships playing a far larger role than necessary.
So, although I understand your point of view, "Anonymous", I still maintain that Jann's pattern of behavior as a manager continues to bring shame to the county - or, rather, it's a symptom of how badly broken management at the county is.
I have never run away from what Jann did for me at the time of my probation. I have talked openly about it in the past, in fact. It also formed a key part of my testimony in Lea's case.
My take has always been that Jann makes hiring and promotion decisions based on personal relationships rather than merit. Or seniority, which is a factor in union jobs. Just because I personally benefited from it at one time doesn't mean that it isn't a lousy way to manage.
Blatant favoritism is not a healthy way to manage. The favorites generally can rationalize it away, but it undercuts all the work the other team members do. Sure, in any job there's a role that personality plays, but at the end of the day, and especially in the tech field with it's focus on concrete results, not to mention a public agency with the emphasis on spending the taxpayers money wisely, merit has to be (or be seen to be) the primary means of making hiring decisions.
In my own case, it's also an example of the demoralizing way that Jann would undercut the manager that she hired - another example of personal relationships playing a far larger role than necessary.
So, although I understand your point of view, "Anonymous", I still maintain that Jann's pattern of behavior as a manager continues to bring shame to the county - or, rather, it's a symptom of how badly broken management at the county is.
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