Earlier than his subsequent function because the chief operations officer at Christian Household Care, former Home Chief of Workers Michael Hunter sat down with the Arizona Capitol Occasions to debate his profession on the Home and on the state authorities stage after he stepped down because the Home’s prime coverage adviser on Feb. 14.
The questions and solutions have been calmly edited for fashion and readability.
Are you able to stroll me by way of how you bought your foot within the door on your close to 30-year profession in authorities and coverage affairs?
I’ve all the time been drawn to the concept of public coverage problem-solving workouts when issues don’t work. That attraction acquired me into being a political science main and I acquired a graduate diploma in political science. My job at Arizona Tax Analysis, I answered an advert from a Tuesday of the Arizona Republic within the categorized advertisements. That is old skool. I circled it, known as and acquired an interview. I feel that curiosity in being useful might be why I used to be engaging to completely different organizations. I labored at Arizona Tax Analysis for eight years and was then recruited by the Arizona Board of Regents. They needed any individual who might communicate conservative however advocate for the college system. I then went to the Arizona state Senate, served below two presidents with very completely different coverage aims and views, [Tim] Bee and [Brenda] Burns. I feel I used to be of curiosity to Gov. Jan Brewer’s administration as a result of I used to be the sort of one who might roll up my sleeves and assist clear up public coverage.
What’s your strategy with coverage?
There are many phrases that start with ‘p’ in the environment. There’s energy, there’s politics, there’s coverage and there’s ardour. However one which will get ignored is course of. If you wish to discover a actually dangerous public coverage consequence, I’ll present you a foul course of that led to it. In the event you’ve acquired lots of people with numerous ardour with completely different energy differentials; you realize, elected officers within the Home of Representatives versus the Senate versus the governor’s workplace versus the judiciary, how do you convey that power into some good public coverage consequence. We’ve acquired to outline a course of that will get you there. I’m a pure advocate for that and to some success, I suppose, in having the ability to accomplish that.
What’s the problem of managing 60 completely different personalities within the Home?
When a member doesn’t perceive one other member from one other a part of the state, I’ll simply ask, have you ever ever gone to that individual’s district and gone to a pizza joint on a Saturday evening? You’ll discover typically that the members that come from their districts are a very reasonable consultant of that district. There’s numerous range in several areas of the state. Queen Creek is completely different from Tempe. So that you shouldn’t anticipate that each member goes to know one another. I feel it’s useful to have individuals perceive once they’re taking a look at any individual that they don’t actually like or agree with, praying for that individual’s well-being is a useful place to begin as a result of it’s laborious to dislike any individual whenever you’re praying for his or her well-being. I put on my religion on my sleeve so I consider human beings as created in God’s picture. If it’s true that persons are created in God’s picture, they’re worthy of respect. They’re worthy of dignity and, whether or not I get them or not, isn’t the essential factor. Members are going to have this political ardour, however I might all the time inform the employees each alternative I acquired, you’re right here to serve the members. It says the Arizona Home of Representatives on the aspect of the constructing, not the Arizona Home of Workers. Whereas they are often actually intense, it’s not our job to be intense. Our job is to be a pressure for the integrity of the establishment and meaning order and course of. It means decorum.
Former Speaker Ben Toma typically spoke in regards to the course of on the Home and talked in regards to the excellence of employees. What would you say about Home employees and the way do you obtain excellence?
They’re very gifted individuals. Sometimes, some individuals be part of employees the place it doesn’t actually work out for them. It takes a sure sort of one who would wish to work on the Arizona Home or the state Senate. You sort of match right into a tradition there otherwise you don’t. There’re many individuals who’ve carried out fairly effectively of their profession the place the Home wasn’t precisely the suitable match for them. I’m honored that Speaker Montenegro has made the selections that he’s made with employees. Speaker Montenegro will probably be making his choices about employees and those he’s made up to now in bringing Matt Specht who was my deputy chief of employees. That’s precisely the suitable resolution. You’re not going to search out any individual extra educated about how issues run on the Home and extra devoted to the job than Matt Specht. My suggestion to the speaker was to maintain each single considered one of them. Hold your division heads. You’ve acquired the non-partisan workplaces, the foundations workplace, the clerk’s workplace, and the analysis employees who work intently with the committee chairmen. I’ve an excessive amount of respect for the chief of the Democrat employees, too. Lisette Flores is an excellent individual.
What makes a great speaker?
I feel servant management is the first factor that makes a great speaker. I’ve been blessed to work for lots of fine audio system. Among the finest for my part, and so they know easy methods to faucet into the creativity of employees and the power that employees has. They’ve a way of fine public coverage, however they don’t are available with an outsized agenda of their very own. The results of their speakership is channeling the power of the caucus or of the physique into one thing that strikes the general public coverage needle in the suitable course. You actually have numerous widespread curiosity in generalized issues. Republicans actually are advocates for tax reform; for varsity selection. However what individuals imply by these phrases can differ lots. So a speaker is ready to channel that power and switch it into a chance to perform one thing. It’s about addition not subtraction; bringing issues collectively quite than type of tearing issues aside in an effort to construct one thing. I’ve seen individuals run for speaker the place their agenda is to tear the establishment down. They’re working for speaker, which is a recognition contest, however they’re very vital of the people who they’re attempting to realize votes from. The nice audio system that get elected speaker, to start with, you’ve demonstrated a talent for pulling collectively a minimum of a majority of the bulk.
A number of members have spoken extremely of the working relationships they’ve constructed with you. How essential are these relationships to you?
That has been one of many treasures. Desirous about the large coverage accomplishments, individuals will identify the tax reforms that I’ve performed a task in or faculty selection or different kinds of issues which can be an enormous deal to individuals. They’re an enormous deal and I’m pleased with the time I spent engaged on these points. However it’s the person relationships. It’s one-on-one conversations. It’s when a member feels comfy strolling into my workplace and sharing burdens that they’re feeling or searching for some sort of recommendation or counsel or simply any individual that they’ll discuss to. There’s a purpose I preserve a tissue field near my desk as a result of typically that’s wanted. I’ve heard from many members how a lot they worth that point that they’ve spent with me simply simply speaking or working by way of an issue one-on-one or in some small group to the extent that many many members of each events are available and chat with me. Generally they wish to pray with me. Whether or not or not it leads to express prayer, I all the time imagine the place two or extra are gathered, that God is current. I imagine the divine is current in that and in order that makes it very particular.
What are you most excited for along with your subsequent function at Christian Household Care?
There are occasions when authorities is attempting to determine easy methods to discuss to Christians in regards to the take care of household or the care for kids or particularly kids in misery. So what does that seem like in our fashionable tradition? That’s the trail that my spouse and I took after we had been waking as much as the necessity to turn out to be foster mother and father. In the identical means that I’ve a need to strengthen the Home of Representatives as an establishment, I’ve a need to strengthen households as an establishment. How do you communicate into a contemporary tradition with knowledge and love? Some Christians, they’re talking into the tradition, nevertheless it doesn’t sound sensible or loving. That’s one of many greatest motivations I’ve for this chance at Christian Household Care.
Any last ideas?
Each job I’ve had within the final quarter of a century has been in the identical circle roughly. Now I’m in a distinct circle, however my hope is there’s [such] a robust bridge between these two circles that my friendships stay friendships. There may be some individuals who wish to be a good friend of the chief of employees on the Arizona Home of Representatives; not essentially be a good friend of Michael Hunter. They wish to be a good friend of the establishment and that’s okay. However I do hope that a lot of my friendships will switch to no matter job I’m doing and that I received’t turn out to be a stranger on the Arizona Capitol.
