Thrusday, January 14, 1999
New governor names 4 to Cabinet
Development chief comes out of retirement
BY JOHN McCARTHY
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Bob Taft's administration continued to take shape on Wednesday with the hiring of four Cabinet officers, including a development director he coaxed out of retirement.
C. Lee Johnson, who retired as president of a subsidiary of The Limited in October, will help retain jobs and attract businesses to the state. Mr. John son, 66, also has held executive positions at Beatrice Cos. and the Warner Lambert Co.
Mr. Taft said he was impressed with Mr. Johnson's work on the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and on former Gov. George Voinovich's Education Advisory Committee.
“He clearly understands that a good education is the greatest economic development tool that we have,” Mr. Taft said.
The new governor said he would work closely with Mr. Johnson to develop tax-abatement packages and other development strategies. Mr. Johnson's first priority will be to keep 5,400 jobs at General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown assembly plant in northeast Ohio.
GM is planning to replace the plant with a more modern factory. The company assembles the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire at Lordstown, which opened in 1966. Another 2,800 people work at a nearby metal fabricating plant.
GM is expected to announce soon whether the new plant will be built in Lordstown. Ohio is preparing an incentive package designed to keep as many of the jobs as possible, Mr. Taft said.
“It's going to be some time before know the impact of that decision by General Motors on the Mahoning Valley,” Mr. Taft said.
Mr. Taft also appointed three other Cabinet officers Wednesday:
• Rep. Joan Lawrence as director of the Department of Aging, which focuses on the needs of the elderly as well as Mr. Taft's volunteer reading program. Ms. Lawrence, 67, a Republican from Galena, has served in the Legislature for 18 years.
• Mitchell Brown as executive director of the Ohio Lot tery Commission, which oversees the state's lottery games. Mr. Brown, 50, was former Gov. George Voinovich's public service director and held other positions in that administration.
• Maj. Gen. John Smith as adjutant general, the commander of the Ohio National Guard. Gen. Smith, 58, joined the Guard in 1976 and commands the Ohio Air National Guard.
The hirings leave 11 of 26 Cabinet or executive positions unfilled. Mr. Taft said he expects to fill a few other slots in the next two weeks but has no timetable for completing his Cabinet.
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