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Candidate emphasizes servant leadership, staff transparency and outreach to tribal nations
Summary
Jeff described a leadership approach built on experience, openness and service; he explained methods for building staff trust, addressing sensitive personnel issues, and said he would seek open communication with tribal nations while noting differences in mechanisms and resources.
Jeff, a candidate for Cook County administrator, told commissioners his leadership approach centers on three qualities: experience, openness and a service mentality.
He described servant leadership as providing value to the community and helping staff understand how government processes work. “What you're doing with leadership is you're stepping up and you're saying, I'm gonna take on the responsibility, to find the direction, to lead you in the direction, to make sure that you have what you need,” he said.
On staff relations, Jeff described experience working with volunteer fire and ambulance departments where he said tradition sometimes conflicted with formal statutes or procedures. He said his approach was to show staff the relevant statutes and other authoritative sources and to follow up with frequent communication to build trust.
When asked about an employee who suspects a coworker is using opioids, Jeff said he would treat the report as an observable concern rather than an established fact, maintain employee confidentiality and check for applicable drug-testing rules (for example, for CDL employees) before pursuing next steps.
On tribal relations, Jeff said he had limited in-depth experience but would pursue open communication and outreach. He noted shared issues—particularly housing shortages and workforce housing needs—while observing that tribal and county mechanisms and rules can differ and will require learning and collaboration.
Commissioners pressed him about district differences across Cook County; several commissioners emphasized the county operates under an umbrella while acknowledging distinct district needs. Jeff said he would prioritize learning names, roles and priorities in the first three months and establishing clear communication channels.
No formal board direction or personnel actions occurred during the interview.
