30 SECONDS: Hampton Grunewald

Hampton Grunewald earlier this year left his position as assistant to Mayor Kip Holden.

What’s the mayor really like?

You were the mayor’s assistant for two and a half years. Did the time fly?

I started in July of 2005 and my last day was Jan. 1, 2008. It went by very fast. Since I started a little over a month before the two hurricanes hit, it was important to learn quick and run.

How did you get the job?

I spent several years with the Louisiana Senate as an aide on the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee. That gave me the opportunity to work with many of the legislators on multiple projects, including Mayor Holden when he was in the Senate.

Did you receive e-mails on your BlackBerry at all hours?

The schedule was extremely full and there was not much down time. In the mayor’s office, you’re usually dealing with many important issues at the same time, so you have to be skilled at multitasking. I would gather information on items being presented to the Metro Council, answer media questions, respond to residents’ concerns by e-mail, contact legislators and gather information on new initiatives for the mayor.

What was your most challenging day?

The unprecedented landfall of two major hurricanes. The entire city-parish staff worked around the clock. In times like this you are able to see that challenging moments are handled by the collaborative efforts of the full staff. Every decision we made had to be on a moment’s notice, and could not have been done without the full details obtained through the various departments involved.

Is Kip is a morning person?

I don’t know how he does it! He is up early and late. He is a very people-oriented person and made every effort to attend every meeting he was requested to appear. He would often be in mornings before interviews for the 6 a.m. news and late after 5 p.m., reviewing documents before going to evening meetings.

What’s next for you?

I am working for the chancellor of the LSU AgCenter as coordinator of government relations. My duty is to ensure that officials across the state are informed on the goals, initiatives and mission of the LSU AgCenter. It’s especially important this year, with more than 60 new legislators representing our residents, to educate and keep them up-to-date.

What advice do you have for your replacement in Holden’s office?

Hang on! And save everything. Newspaper articles, reports, notes, everything. He’ll go out of town and come back with stacks of newspaper clippings and highlights, and he’ll say, “Put this away.” He called me not too long ago asking about an article from my first two weeks on the job.