Two Questions for Supervisor Karen Mitchoff

Karen Mitchoff was elected to District IV of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors last year and took office in January. A former mayor of Pleasant Hill, she is a Democrat.

 Concord Patch: You’ve been on the county board half a year now. What have you learned about how to make effective policy that you didn’t know before?

 KM: Even though I have been a member of the Board of Supervisors since January 2011, I have served in elected office since 2003 so I am fortunate to have eight years of experience in how to make effective policy. While there will always be something to learn, I think there are two tools that are critical skills to policy making: 

1. listening to others’ concerns; and 
2. understanding how the process works so as to move policy issues forward.

 Concord Patch: What are two good books you’ve read recently and why are they good?

 KM: Gods and Generals by Michael Shaara and Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan.

 Gods and Generals: It’s the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War so it’s a good opportunity to learn as much as possible about not only the reasons for the war but also about the emotions and motivations behind the generals who fought in the war. It is easy to criticize someone’s perspective or viewpoint, but I believe it is important to have as much information about that other’s viewpoint in order to reach a more reasoned understanding of why he/she may hold that opinion. There is an abundance of historical information about the Civil War, and I wanted to spend some of my reading time absorbing that critical period in our history.

 Tribal Leadership: Not all leaders are born with leadership skills. I have certain innate leadership skills, but I believe it's important to learn about other effective leadership skills that may not be specific to my personality. This book provides additional tools that I can utilize to be as effective a policymaker as possible.