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Achievements and lessons learned in the 1980s
Q: During the period between 1983 and 1985, what were the agency's most important achievements?
MR. ALM: Well, I think we turned the ship around, in terms of public credibility. We certainly increased enforcement. We implemented a groundwater policy. We made the decision to get lead almost completely out of gasoline. We got an awful lot done. We established an Office of Human Resources. We started the whole notion of staff rotation within the agency. We also set up strong management systems that were used many years afterward. And we changed many of our decision processes.
Q: What are the most important lessons current agency leaders could learn from your period?
MR. ALM: I think the positive ones are that you must choose people that have some experience to get a head start on the problems. Clearly, creating trust and providing leadership to the bureaucracy is critical. People that do not understand this, who create a gap between the professional bureaucracy and the political appointees, will pay very dearly. I also think candor in public programs pays off. Bill was very, very candid about the limitations of what could be done, and what could not be done. I think, overall, people respected that.
Q: Any negative lessons?
MR. ALM: Frankly, I can't think of any at this time.