Janesville native wraps up cabinet appointment
Photo
President Bush introduces Small Business Administration head Steve Preston as his nomination for Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Friday, April 18, 2008, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
JANESVILLE — Whether they know it or not, the folks on Purvis Avenue in Janesville have played a role in decisions made around the mahogany table in the West Wing of the White House.
Steve Preston and his four siblings grew up in a cozy three-bedroom ranch on Purvis, an experience that’s influenced Preston whenever he entered the Cabinet Room as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Come Tuesday, Preston will no longer be a member of President Bush’s Cabinet, a post he’s held since June. In 2006, Bush plucked Preston from the private sector to lead the Small Business Administration.
“Janesville is a great place to be from when you walk into that room and sit at a table where decisions are being made that affect millions of people,” said Preston, whose father worked three jobs to make ends meet and whose mother cleaned office buildings.
“My dad worked at the GM plant in Janesville and at Belvidere, so I know the struggle people are going through.”
Before joining the Bush team, the 1978 Parker grad compiled an impressive resume in the private sector, including the executive vice president post he left at The ServiceMaster Co. in the Chicago area.
Preston said his business experience was a plus in Washington, where the federal government is a big business. Leading people and holding them accountable generates measurable results, which is fundamental in business or government, he said.
“I came into this not worrying about who is a Democrat and who is a Republican or about the chatter in the media,” he said. “It served me well to reach out to people and listen to their concerns.
“Most of the issues that face this country have nothing to do with politics.”
Still, Preston has been a part of the political fray. Critics lined up to oppose both his SBA and HUD nominations.
Yet he’s proud of his work, proud of the opportunity to serve.
“Being able to make a difference in the lives of millions of people makes it very easy to get up every morning and come to work,” he said. “It’s something that really has to live in your heart when you come to this town.
“You have to be coming for the right reasons.”
Preston said he moved to Washington for the right reasons. Doing so, however, disrupted the lives of his wife, Molly, and five children, who at the time ranged in age from 3 to 11.
“I said ‘Look, I have an opportunity to serve our country and help a lot of people if I do a good job. If we go, you’ll also be serving by making sacrifices to help me do that,’” he said.
In a way, the proposal dignified the children.
“They became engaged and excited,” Preston said. “They’ve met the president three times and have been exposed to some remarkable things.”
While meeting the president is one form of headiness, working with him is quite another.
“It’s an awesome experience to walk into that room and sit across the table from the president of the United States, to hear Condoleezza Rice discuss world issues and then to have the president turn to me for a briefing on this country’s housing situation,” Preston said.
“It can be heady, but your responsibility isn’t to the president or Cabinet but to the 300 million people in this country. I take that responsibility very seriously, and if you walk in thinking about keeping roles or jobs, that’s the wrong way to go about it.”
Preston will leave his Cabinet post Tuesday. He’s spent hours meeting with his successor to lay the groundwork for what he said will be a seamless transition.
He’ll take a month off but has rented office space in Washington so he can speak and consult on housing and economic issues.
In four to six months, he expects to take a new career path, one that could lead to more public service.
Thirty years ago at Parker, teacher John Eyster and his Washington Seminar program infused Preston with an interest in public service.
“When I came out of college, I debated going into public service or the private sector, where I could build my competencies,” Preston said. “I chose the private sector, but public service was always in the back of my mind.”
Jan 20, 2009 at 1:23 a.m.
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What's really amusing in reading all of these posts is that the ones that are at each other's throats in these comment sections...(anonymously of course) are probably (unknowingly) kissing each other's arse's in their day jobs....Too funny.
Jan 19, 2009 at 2:41 p.m.
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Hey, no harm no fowl. I'm guilty of getting pissed at people that can't find positive in certain stories or have to find negative in everything. That seems to happen a lot in this town and on these posts. Politics, blaming the police for doing their jobs, defending the drug addicts for their poor choices, etc. etc. Just gets frustrating after awhile. We'd do a lot better if if just didn't bit#@ about everything.
Jan 19, 2009 at 2:30 p.m.
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I probably should not have been so flippant and snarky, it was impolite. I apologize for being impolite.
I would rather, however, be a well-educated person guilty of the occasional flippant, snarky remark than one who is willing to be such a blatant hypocrite as you were willing to be in earlier posts.
Jan 19, 2009 at 2:29 p.m.
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Congrats Mr. Preston. Pretty neat having a guy from Janesville in that position. Your comment “Most of the issues that face this country have nothing to do with politics.” is very true and I wish more people would think that way.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:50 p.m.
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I like your tone. Thanks for the compliment and for judging me. I don't recall doing that to you at any point during our conversation. Says a lot about your character.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:46 p.m.
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I'll say something positive about Bush.
He's leaving office.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:33 p.m.
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What a waste of an education.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:27 p.m.
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I'm pretty educated and don't need things like this explained to me, but thanks anyways. I can read a story and realize what the topic is actually about.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:08 p.m.
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I will also agree to end our back and forth.
I, however, will also agree to avoid being hypocritical by being critical of the tactics and tone of people of all political persuasions rather than only attacking those of apposing viewpoints.
If you'd like, I can also explain to you the difference between tactics or tone and viewpoints.
Jan 19, 2009 at 12:56 p.m.
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I'm not going to sit here and argue with you because then we sound like politicians and I don't want to be in that same category. I will by all means call people out on it if it doesn't stick to the story. I will also however defend my political side if someone is going to start things in that direction.
Jan 19, 2009 at 12:33 p.m.
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gonefishin was bashing Obama as much as janesvillean was bashing Bush (I wouldn't call it bashing either one of them, but YOU did use the word bash when it came to the Bush-related comments). You called out janesvillean but made no comment regarding gonefishin, despite the fact that gonefishin was doing the right thing. After I called you out on that, your defense was that you see "tons" of political posts that start by bashing Republicans. You didn't say bashing politicians of any political leanings is wrong and then admit that gonefishin's post was no more on-topic nor bashing-free than janesvillean's, you simply defended yourself and gonefishin.
If questioning the experience of politicians or their actions is considered bashing, then by all means call people out on it. I humbly recommend, however, that you don't only call out people who are on the other side of the political spectrum.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:24 a.m.
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bubs- And how is my point that it's acceptable to bash Obama? Stating that Bush appointed him and that he has no experience, is actually saying something about Bush. In defense to that, gonefishin merely brought up the fact that the current President also lacks experience which is true. Either way, I wish whether democratic or republican, people could figure things out between the two, because it really does no good. How about saying, wow, that's pretty cool. One of our own locals involved with something like this? That would be a nice touch for change.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:57 a.m.
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The closest that the second post comes to RESPONDING to the first is that they both use the world experience. Gonefishin doesn't argue that Preston had experience or that Bush made good appointments (the two main points of Janesvillean's post), but rather decided to express a belief that Obama has limited experience.
Your point appears to be that it is acceptable to "bash" Obama and get off topic but not to "bash" Bush and get off topic.
If it is wrong for a liberal (assuming janesvillean is) to go off topic, then it is inappropriate for a conservative (assuming gonefishin is) to go off topic. It doesn't matter who said something first (we aren't five) or that you perceive something about "tons" of posts. I see quite a few posts about Democrats and/or liberals that start of with Democrat-bashing. I wonder if you criticize those posters as well...
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.
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Bubs - second post was in response to first post which was off the topic. You missed my point. I have read tons of political posts on here and they usually start with the republican bashing. Just wish people could stick to the story.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:40 a.m.
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Spark,
Ah yes, just another story for the Obama Bashers to get their blows in rather than focus on one of our own locals that was involved in something unique. (see second post)
If you think that we should be focusing Preston, then gonefishin is just as guilty as janesvillean of missing the point. It's a bit hypocritical to call out one side but not the other. Hopefully, if you truly think we should be focusing on Preston's involvement with something unique, you can put your pettiness aside and call out both Bush Bashers and Obama Bashers.
Jan 19, 2009 at 8:51 a.m.
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Ah yes, just another story for the bush bashers to get their blows in rather than focus on one of our own locals that was involved in something unique. Petty. Really petty.
Jan 19, 2009 at 1:25 a.m.
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justsaynotomath---"if republicans could just get the details first and run their mouth second,lol"
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Do you need a picture to understand his comments? It is called an "analogy". But then I guess you phrased it best--if you could just get the details first.
Jan 18, 2009 at 11:04 p.m.
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Don't you suppose that the price tag on this inauguration has something to do with history? I mean, security alone will be greater than any other inauguration our country has ever had. Regardless of party affiliation, you have to admit that history always comes at a price.
Jan 18, 2009 at 11:02 p.m.
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Uh, may I remind you, that when first elected into office, NO President has had experience running any country-- large or small. If elected a second time, they then have 4 years of experience--good or bad.
Jan 18, 2009 at 8:02 p.m.
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THE CHOSEN ONE,is starting out just like most sensible people thought he would,150 million dollar inaugaration(42 million for Bush)and parading around like a rock star,how long before he finally wakes up from the kool aid.
Jan 18, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.
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Very few of our Presidents have had previous experience running a large country.
Jan 18, 2009 at 10:34 a.m.
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It's hard to know what to think of his service. He ran the Small Business Administration with no experience running a small business, and then he ran the Housing and Urban Development with no experience in housing or urban development. Altogether an emblematic Bush appointee.
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