Mary Catherine Carmichael, who leads the staff for the transition, said Hamilton’s campaign is glad to work with an experienced group of Bloomington residents.
“Really, we tried to pick as diverse a group as we could,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael said the committee includes representatives from IU and Ivy Tech, large and small employers, labor representatives, nonprofits, and current and former government workers.
The committee drew from residents with extensive experience in their separate fields, Carmichael said.
Former mayor Tomi Allison and current Department of History Chairman Eric Sandweiss are the committee’s co-chairs.
“We’re lucky that we live in a community with smart people, and we want to take advantage,” Carmichael said.
The committee will advise Hamilton about actions like filling gaps in staffing, making appointments to committees, task forces and increasing government transparency, according to a press release from the Hamilton campaign.
Carmichael said the terms for members of some governmental boards and commissions end Dec. 31, so the committee will try to anticipate any members’ stepping down and be ready with suggestions for potential replacements.
The advisory committee will complete its work by Dec. 31, right before Hamilton steps into the mayor’s office.
“Our goal is to have a good idea of who is available and appropriate to step into those roles — especially the mayoral appointments — by the end of the year,” Carmichael said.
A committee will meet Friday afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. to set the goals from which the advisory committee will work for the next month and a half, Carmichael said.
