By Caren Madsen 

Any county resident who has been involved in either drafting or advocating for environmental legislation over the years has most likely run across seasoned Senior Legislative Attorney Mike Faden. Faden retired this month after 30 years of public service. 

He joined the Montgomery County work force in 1986 after serving as legislative counsel for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and working on energy and arms control issues for six years.  Before his stint with UCS, Faden worked as legislative counsel for former Massachusetts Gov. Mike Dukakis after graduating from Boston University Law School. In his early years in Montgomery County, he worked under a contract the county had at the time with the Georgetown University Law Center.

"What I've found most rewarding over the years has been the chance to work with elected officials to help them find effective legislative solutions to policy problems," said Faden, as he reflected on his career.  "It's rewarding to find solutions that break legislative impasses."

Faden has worked on essentially every environmental issue that has come before the Council during his time in the county. He helped craft bills on tree canopy, stormwater management, urban runoff, smoking, the disposable bag tax, the country growth policy and the urban road code.  He has worked through resolutions to many contentious issues over the years and has earned the respect of elected and non-elected county officials as well as members of the local environmental and building community.

"In addition to serving the County Council wisely all these years, he made the law accessible and clear to ordinary citizens, while treating us as respected partners in the legislative process," noted Ginny Barnes, an environmental activist in the county for over 20 years.   

Faden has spent countless hours explaining the fine points of legislative measures to residents who have called his office.  And when Conservation Montgomery and partners in the "Trees Matter" coalition gathered to celebrate the passage of two landmark tree laws in 2013, Faden was there in the crowd.  He was one of the first public servants in the room to be acknowledged for his hard work on the two bills.

"In working with Mike on the street tree bill, I came to know him as a plain-spoken man, willing to ask questions and learn as much as he could about trees and how they grow," said Bethesda resident Arlene Bruhn, who advocated for the street tree bill passed in 2013.  "He was able to keep the bill on track because he never assumed a knowledge of trees or building practices beyond his grasp. I am particularly grateful for his patience, graciousness and humility during the process."

Faden's advice for environmental and civic advocates who want to persevere is simple.

"Tell your story clearly and push hard for what you need. But remember that the ideal can often be the enemy of the real." 

Mike, we wish you the best.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication. We'll miss you! 

For those who don't like venturing out in cold and blustery weather, freezing temperatures signal a great time to curl up beside a fire, with a hot cup of tea, and immerse yourself in a book.