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Commissioner Ed Flowers’
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I was in my first year as Deputy Commissioner when Ed was selected by Governor Moore to be the new Commissioner. Very soon following his appointment, Ed and I had an honest, straightforward discussion about his vision for the department and the expectations he had for my position and other key positions. We agreed to give our working relationship a six-month trial run. I greatly appreciated the honesty and integrity of that discussion and respected his willingness to take a considerable risk in keeping the key administrative staff he had inherited. In my view, Ed’s appointment as Commissioner launched one of the most exciting and productive periods in West Virginia state government. He brought to the department an amazing intellect, an exceptional analytical capacity coupled with great skill in presenting complex information in an understandable and persuasive manner, and a never-ending passion for departmental responsiveness to those we served. His boundless energy in communicating his vision and instilling a sense of pride in the department’s work made believers of us all. So, too, were there many believers throughout the United States. When people throughout the country were asked where some of the most exciting and innovative things were occurring in public welfare programming, West Virginia was always among those places referenced. To be the best, we first had to believe that we could be such. Under Ed’s leadership, we believed. This may have been his greatest leadership gift to us all. At the same time, to become the best required a team. We were that team. Each of us had enormously important roles to play in helping to achieve the vision. West Virginia government may never again experience any thing comparable to our achievements during those "heady" days. As we say in the hills, "we dun good." John Yankey
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First and foremost, Commissioner Flowers was
a man of vision with fundamental values of compassion and integrity that
guided his personal and professional life. His vision from day one as
Commissioner was that the West Virginia Department of Welfare would be
recognized as the best administered Welfare Organization in providing
temporary or permanent assistance to its citizens. He not only inspired
his staff but also gained the support of the Legislature to invest in
programs to enable the recipients of the Department Programs to move
beyond their need for temporary assistance.
Commissioner Flowers not only empowered his staff but also the Department recipients to be all they could be. It may have come as a surprise to most West Virginians that he achieved his vision of the best administrated Welfare Organization but not to those of us who had the opportunity to work with him. So I say, thank you Commissioner Flowers for creating a better tomorrow in not only my personal and professional life but also in the lives of our citizens who had to look to their government for temporary or permanent assistance. Virgil L. Conrad-Retired |
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