Governor O'Malley Submits "Green Bag" Appointments
Appointments Made to State Board of Education, University System Board of Regents, Local Community College Boards of Trustees, and Critical Areas Commission, Among Others
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 20, 2009) - Governor Martin O’Malley today submitted a list of 167 “green bag” nominations for appointment and reappointment to the Maryland Senate for State boards and commissions.
The list includes nominees for the Maryland Economic Development Commission, the Maryland State Board of Education, the Board of Trustees of Residential Boarding Education Programs (SEED School), the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, Community College Board of Trustees (in various counties), and the Critical Areas Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, among other regulatory and advisory boards. Today’s green bag appointments also included the nomination of Christian S. Johansson to serve as Secretary to the Department of Business and Economic Development.
“I am especially proud to make a number of appointments to fill key leadership positions on our State Board of Education, the University System Board of Regents and the Community Colleges Boards of Trustees to continue the progress we have made in building the No. 1 ranked school system in America, and making college more affordable for our families,” said Governor O’Malley. “We have worked hard to compile a list of individuals from across our State with diverse geographic and ethnic backgrounds to continue to help protect Maryland’s priorities.”
The term “green bag” derives from the historical green satchel that is used once every year to bring the gubernatorial nominations to the Senate. When not in use, the bag is stored at the Maryland State Archives. It is state tradition that a senior member of the governor’s staff delivers the “green bag” to the Senate.
Among the 167 nominees are:
Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. (Maryland Economic Development Commission): Dr. Zerhouni is being nominated for appointment as a member and Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission. Dr. Zerhouni is former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he oversaw NIH’s 27 institutes and centers with more than 18,000 employees and a budget of $29.5 million. Dr. Zerhouni is a world renowned leader in the field of radiology and medicine. He is credited with developing imaging methods used for diagnosing cancer and cardiovascular disease. He is an Anne Arundel County resident.
Sylvester J. Gates, Ph.D. (State Board of Education): Dr. Gates is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. He is a noted American theoretical physicist. Dr. Gates has been featured on NOVA PBS programs on physics, most notably “The Elegant Universe” in 2003. He is currently the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Gates received both his Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry, and is known for his work on supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory. He is a Prince George’s County resident.
Donna H. Staton, Esq. (State Board of Education): Ms. Staton is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. She served as Deputy Attorney General to Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. She also served as an Associate Judge on the Circuit Court of Howard County, becoming the first African-American trial judge in Howard County and the second African-American woman to serve on any Circuit Court in the State. She has taught as an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Maryland, School of Law. Ms. Staton has also been recognized as one of Daily Record’s “Maryland’s Top 100 Women.” She is a trustee for the Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland (Court of Appeals Appointment) and the Bar Foundation of Howard County. She received her Bachelor’s degree at Princeton University and her Juris Doctor at the George Washington University Law School. She is a Howard County resident.
Madhu Sidhu (State Board of Education): Ms. Sidhu is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. She currently serves as the Executive Director and Program Development Manager for Character Counts!, a non-profit in Kent County. She has been actively involved in the Maryland State PTA, both as a board member and as Chair of Curriculum and Instruction. She also served as the President of Kent County High School PTSA, during which membership increased by 135%. Ms. Sidhu has devoted her life to teaching and education, both in the classroom and as a parent. She received a BA from SNDT Women’s University (India) and from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, and has completed computer courses at Washington College. She is a Kent County resident.
Guffrie M. Smith, Jr., (State Board of Education): Mr. Smith is being nominated as a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. He has been active in the Calvert County Public School System since 1964, and has continuously served the State of Maryland’s education system and his community. He began his career in education as teacher, eventually becoming Principal of Appeal Elementary School in Calvert County. Since that time, he has served as Calvert County Public School’s Director of Elementary Education, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Director of Community Education Resource Center at Mill Creek Middle School. He received a BS in Elementary Education from Bowie State College, as well as a Masters of Education in Elementary Administration /Supervision. He is a Calvert County resident.
Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D. (SEED School): Dr. Quiñones-Hinojosa is being nominated for appointment as a member of the SEED School. He is currently Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the Director of the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Escuela Normal Urbana Federal Fronteriza (Mexico) and University of California Berkeley, and earned his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School (cum laude). He has received numerous awards for vast contributions to science and education. He is a Harford County resident.
Gary L. Attman (University System of Maryland Board of Regents): Mr. Attman is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Board of Regents. He is President of FutureCare Health and Management Corporation, which he co-founded in 1985. He is a member of the Maryland Bar, a CPA, and a licensed real estate broker. Mr. Attman received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland (magna cum laude) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a Baltimore County resident.
Linda Gooden (University System of Maryland Board of Regents): Ms. Gooden is being nominated for appointment as a member of the University of Maryland Board of Regents. Ms. Gooden is Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, which employs approximately 52,000 people and has generated $8.4 billion in sales for the corporation. She received her degree in Computer Technology from Youngstown State University and completed her post-baccalaureate studies at San Diego State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service from UMUC. She is a Montgomery County resident.
John L. Young, M.D. (University System of Maryland Board of Regents): Dr. Young is being nominated for appointment as a member of the University of Maryland Board of Regents. He is a medical doctor at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Gaithersburg. He is the founding and managing partner of Genetic Consultants of Maryland. Dr. Young received his Bachelor of Science in zoology from the University of Maryland College Park, and received his Medical Degree from the University of Maryland Medical School. Dr. Young is currently Commissioner of the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, and is President-Elect of the Montgomery County Medical Society. He is a certified diplomat of the American Board of OB/Gyn and board-certified on the National and Maryland Board of Medical Examiners. He is a Montgomery County resident.
Debra S. Borden, Esq. (Frederick Community College Board of Trustees): Ms. Borden is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Frederick Community College Board of Trustees. She is currently a Land Use attorney with Linowes and Blocher, LLP. Prior to that, Ms. Borden focused on private practice litigation, as well as municipal and administrative law. She is the former Assistant City Attorney for the City of Frederick. She has also held the offices of Secretary and Vice President of the Commission for Women and currently chairs the Legislative Committee. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland, School of Law. She is a resident of Frederick County.
Jason B. Rush (Garrett Community College Board of Trustees): Mr. Rush is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Garrett Community College Board of Trustees. He currently serves as Director of Financial Services for First United Bank & Trust, Inc. and as treasurer of Rush Services, Inc. He is extremely active in his community, serving on several County Boards, including the Garrett County Agriculture Fair, Inc., the Garrett County Community Action Committee, and the Garrett County Memorial Hospital Foundation. He received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Frostburg State University. He is a Garrett County resident.
Kimberly A. McCoy Burns, Esq. (Anne Arundel Community College Board of Trustees): Ms. Burns is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Anne Arundel Community College Board of Trustees. She currently owns and operates the Law Offices of Kimberly A. McCoy, and is the Vice President and co-owner of Government Affairs-Maryland, Inc, a public affairs firm in Annapolis. She is a resident of Anne Arundel County.
Donald Sydnor (Critical Areas Commission): Mr. Sydnor is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Critical Areas Commission. He has served as a Mathematics teacher for 39 years. He is a member of the Cambridge County Council. Mr. Sydnor is also a member of the NAACP. He received a degree from University of Maryland, Eastern Shore and completed graduate work at University of Maryland, College Park and George Washington University. He is a Dorchester County resident.
Worrall R. “Nick” Carter, III (Critical Areas Commission): Mr. Carter is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Critical Areas Commission. Mr. Carter was a biologist and ecologist for Maryland Department of Natural Resources for 35 years. He is a member of the Caroline County Board of Zoning Appeals. He has been a chairman of the American Fisheries Society Environmental Concerns Committee, and has received numerous awards for his work in conservation. He is a Caroline County resident.
Jay A. Jacobs (Critical Areas Commission): Mr. Jacobs is being nominated for appointment as a member of the Critical Areas Commission. He currently serves as Mayor of the Town of Rock Hall and President of the Kent County Council of Governments. He formerly served as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board. Mr. Jacobs was named WCTR’s (1530 AM) Person of the Year, and was the recipient of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award in 2001. He is certified in unique fabrication processes in construction, and an active participant in Maryland Municipal League seminar programs. He is a Kent County resident.
[ View Full List of Appointments ]
