The Willow Glen Resident Three-year veteran takes job as chief of staff for District 6 Michele McGurk, a Fiscalini aide since 1995, moves into top position By Cecily Barnes When Joe Guerra steps down from his chief-of-staff position with District 6 Councilmember Frank Fiscalini next month to fill a slot in the mayor's budget office, Michelle McGurk will slip into his well-worn shoes. "I don't think that there's going to be a huge change in our office or what we're working on," McGurk says. "There are certainly some differences between my and Joe's personality and style, but Frank [Fiscalini] is still going to be the same person, and our commitment is still going to be to our neighborhoods." While the transition may feel minor to local residents, it will be slightly more tumultuous for McGurk. For starters, she'll have a new desk, a new title and a litany of new responsibilities--including the role of point-person for District 6 staff and the community. Where the buck used to stop with Guerra, it will now stop with McGurk. In addition, she will take the helm on land-use matters, act as liaison to the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and continue her work with the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association. Still, she says, the system that the organizations are used to will not change much. "I think it would make a bigger difference if it were someone coming in from the outside," McGurk says. "But I've been here for four years, and I'm not going to dramatically change the day-to-day operations of our office." Over the past year, McGurk has worked intensively on a few major issues, including the Group Homes Ordinance, the extension of the Los Gatos Creek Trail and the installation of a stop sign at Willow Street. Looking ahead into 1999, McGurk foresees proposed architectural review standards as one issue that may directly impact Willow Glen. "I think one of the things that will be very big will be architectural review for older neighborhoods," McGurk says. "If the council approves that on Dec. 15, then the planning department will create a process, something that is sensitive to the character and charm of communities like Willow Glen, but is also not so burdensome that you can't add on to your home to accommodate a growing family." Community leaders in Willow Glen expect McGurk to do a great job as new chief of staff, given that she's already worked in the district for three years. "It's natural that Michelle would move up, and it will make for a smooth transition since she's been with the office for a long time," says Kris Cunningham, president of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association. McGurk, 31, graduated from Northwestern University in 1988 with a degree in journalism. She wrote for various publications until 1994, when she moved into politics. She began working for Fiscalini in February, 1995. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, December 16, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.