Obama's Great Lakes Guy

Eric Andre: Morning's first light ~Enlarge

The Obama administration addressed a long-standing criticism of Great Lakes cleanup efforts last week by naming Cameron Davis, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, as a senior advisor.

For decades, critics have said Great Lakes programs are too fragmented and suffered for lack of leadership. Davis will report to EPA chief Lisa Jackson and is expected to be responsible for coordinating the work of the agencies that touch Great Lakes issues, and that's a lot of agencies.

I first met Cam Davis in 2002 when I attended a networking event at his office in Chicago. He was working the room by greeting volunteers, chatting with funders, and generally making Great Lakes issues accessible to novices, like me.

As I grew to know him over time, I was impressed by how forthcoming he was and by his dedication to tasks large and small. One day he could be in Washington testifying before Congress on policy issues. The next day might find him arranging the chairs at a fundraising event. He led not only by his title but by example.

Davis also had a certain talent for connecting with key politicians.

He once convinced then congressman Rahm Emanuel to attend a beach cleanup, as in picking cigarette butts out of the sand. I would have bet a buck that Emanuel would be a no-show. But as I gazed across Chicago's 12th street beach on a cool April morning, there was Emanuel with his young daughter in tow, and Davis briefing him on the issues. Emanuel is now President Obama's Chief of Staff.

Under Davis' leadership, the fledgling Lake Michigan Federation became the Alliance for the Great Lakes, now recognized as one of the leading advocates on Great Lakes issues.

Fast-forward to the task at hand --advising EPA chief Jackson and riding herd on the massive bureaucracy assigned to spend the newly found $475 million on restoration, with hopefully more money to follow.

To say this will be difficult is a gross understatement. Policy professionals in the region have expressed concern about the EPA's Great Lakes plan. It looks like bureaucracy on steroids and its mission statement reads like a corporate annual report. Lots of platitudes and jargon laden language that looks good but doesn't say a whole lot. Davis will have to sort this out.  

The various press accounts of his appointment contain much deserved praise for his experience, expertise, and dedication.   

The test however for Davis will be his willingness to take a tough stance when warranted. Collaboration can only take you so far.

He will have to be willing to say no to the special interests and the D.C. establishment and that may not come easy. His tendency in recent years, as part of a coalition, has been to take any deal for the sake of a deal and to be conciliatory to special interests such as the bottled water industry. His support of the Great Lakes Compact is an example.

If he follows that same path, then he will likely repeat the Chesapeake Bay failure. The Chesapeake remains on the critical list despite being the recipient of a 25 year / $6 billion effort.

The political environment is aligned, for now, in favor of moving restoration forward. If Davis has the courage to take a stand when it isn't easy, and his boss supports him, then he has an opportunity to foster real change for the Great Lakes.

I have written to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to commend her for selecting Davis. In that letter I said he should be given authority and be held accountable.

We'll see how it plays out.  

gw