Governor Martin O'Malley Announces Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 6, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced appointments to the Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness; the University System of Maryland Board of Regents; the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding; the State Health Services Cost Review Commission; and the Task Force to Study Nanobiotechnology.
“I am proud to announce the appointments to the various Boards and Commissions across the State. Each appointee brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will serve as an asset to the Boards they will serve on,” said Governor O’Malley. “We have worked hard to compile a list of individuals from across our State with diverse educational, career, geographic, gender and ethnic backgrounds to continue to help protect Maryland’s priorities.”
Below is background information on the appointees:
Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness
The following members are teacher representatives:
Elizabeth Weller is being designated as a co-chair of the Council. She is a middle school science teacher who has also taught German and English. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in German and a Masters of Arts in Psychology. She is the Vice President of the Maryland State Education Association. Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick will join Ms. Weller as a Council co-chair. Ms. Weller is a resident of Kent County.
Bridgette Blue is an elementary Mathematics coordinator and resource teacher. She is the FIRST Teacher Liaison with responsibilities related to the pilot performance pay schools in the Prince George’s County Public Schools. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Boston University and a Masters of Science in Mathematics Education from Towson University. Ms. Blue is a resident of Prince George’s County.
Cheryl Bost is a Baltimore County Public School teacher and the president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Education from Goucher College-Sheppard Pratt. Ms. Bost is a resident of Baltimore County.
Maleeta Kitchen is an elementary Mathematics teacher and a member of the Howard County Education Association Board of Directors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science in Mathematics Education from Towson University. She developed and directs an after-school program to support minority girls transitioning to the middle school environment. Ms. Kitchen is a resident of Howard County.
Dawn Pipkin is a middle school teacher of English and language arts in the St. Mary’s County Public School System. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Reading Education from Towson University. She is a National Board certified teacher. Ms. Pipkin is a St. Mary’s County resident.
Lee Rutledge is a Teach for America teacher who began his career in Washington D.C. where he taught fifth and sixth grade. He is an elementary school teacher and mentor teacher at Pimlico Elementary Middle School. He is a member of the Baltimore Teachers Union Board of Directors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Rutledge is a resident of Baltimore City.
The following members are principal representatives:
Judith Walker is the principal at Robert Moton Elementary School in Carroll County. She is the President of Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Shepherd College and a Masters of Arts from George Washington University in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Walker is a resident of Carroll County.
David Burton is the principal at Long Reach High School in Howard County. He was previously the principal at Parkdale High School in Prince George’s County. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Oakland University in Michigan and his Masters of Education in School Administration and Supervision at Trinity College in Washington D.C. He is the President-elect of the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals. Mr. Burton is resident of Howard County.
The following members are local board of education representatives:
Christopher S. Barclay is the vice president of the Montgomery County Board of Education. He is also the chair of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Charles W. Willis Memorial Award Committee. Mr. Barclay has worked in the telecommunication industry since 1993. He is a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Pamela A. Pedersen is a member of the Charles County Board of Education, where she serves as the Chairperson of the Policy Review Committee. She has served as a long term ESOL substitute in the school system. Ms. Pedersen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer and Family Sciences from Purdue University. She has 25 years of experience in management, instruction and support activities in work, school and volunteer settings. Ms. Pedersen is a resident of Charles County.
The following members represent local system administrations:
Donna Hanlin is the Washington County Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, School Administration and Improvement. She was a teacher and principal at James M. Bennett High School in Wicomico County. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Purdue University; a Masters of Arts in Education for Salisbury State University and is enrolled in a Doctoral program at the University of Maryland College Park. Ms. Hanlin is a resident of Washington County.
Dr. Bonita Coleman-Potter is the Deputy Superintendent of the Prince George’s County Public School System and has held high level administrative positions for thirteen years at the state and local district level in Mississippi. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Tougaloo College and a Masters of Arts in English Literature from the University of Mississippi. She was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education Administration from Jackson State University in 2000. Dr. Coleman-Potter is a resident of Prince George’s County.
Other distinguished appointees include:
Dr. Andres Alonso, Chief Executive Officer of the Baltimore City Public Schools is appointed to represent Maryland’s 24 local superintendents. Dr. Alonso was appointed as the CEO of City Schools in 2007. He has taught emotionally disturbed special education adolescents and English language learners in New Jersey. He emigrated from Cuba and graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University. He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Dr. Alonso is a resident of Baltimore City.
June Streckfus is being appointed as a representative of the business community. Ms. Streckfus is the Executive Director of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. Ms. Streckfus has a Bachelor of Science degree in education from University of Maryland, College Park, a Master's degree and a certificate of advanced study in liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Streckfus has taught in the Baltimore County School System. She is a resident of Baltimore County.
Dr. Mary Kay Finan is a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. Dr. Finan is an Education Professor at Frostburg University and she is the coordinator of Elementary and Early Childhood/Elementary programs. Prior to joining the Frostburg faculty, she taught elementary school for 13 years in Allegany County. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Loyola College, a Master’s degree in Reading from Frostburg State University and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland. Dr. Finan is a resident of Allegany County.
Dr. Dennis Pataniczek is being appointed to represent higher education, teacher preparation programs. He is the Dean of the Seidel School of Education at Salisbury University. Dr. Pataniczek has Bachelor and Doctoral degrees from Michigan State University and a Masters degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was appointed Professor, Associate Dean and the Founding Director of the School of Education at the Florida Gulf Coast University. He was a member of Governor O’Malley’s STEM Task Force and President of the Maryland Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. He is a resident of Wicomico County.
The following members are At-large members:
Dr. Lawrence Leak retired from the University of Maryland University College where he was the acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer and prior to that, he was the Assistant State Superintendent in Certification at the Maryland State Department of Education. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Education from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and both a Masters and PhD from the University of Maryland in Education Administration and Supervision. Dr. Leak has been a teacher, a principal and an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Secondary Education at Towson University. He is a resident of Howard County.
Enrique Melendez is the Managing Principal for Paragon Projects Resources, Inc. He was a member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education. Mr. Melendez holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering management from Northeastern University in Boston. He is a resident of Anne Arundel County.
University System of Maryland Board of Regents
The Honorable Francis X. Kelly, Jr. is being reappointed to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. He is founder, chairman and CEO of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group of Hunt Valley. He has been elected to the Maryland State Senate three times from 1979 to 1990 and is Chair of the Board of Visitors for the Shock Trauma Center and Chair of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Board of Directors. He also previously served as Chairman of the Community College Trustees for Baltimore County and Vice Chairman of the Morgan State University Board of Regents. Mr. Kelly graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Economics. He is a resident of Baltimore County.
The Honorable Charles Thomas McMillen is being reappointed to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. He is a former professional basketball player, Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Congressman who represented the 4th Congressional district of Maryland from 1987 to 1993. Mr. McMillen serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Homeland Security Capital Corporation and as Vice Chairman of Ultimate Escapes. He also serves as Director of the Dominion Funds, Inc. and serves on the advisory board of Clean Energy Systems and Integrity Global Security. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland and then received a B.A. and M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University. He is a resident of Howard County.
Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding
Gus Bauman is being appointed as a representative from the business community and is being designated as Chair . He is a member of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, an attorney at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. and a former Chairman of the Montgomery County Planning Board at the Maryland Capital Park and Planning Commission. He is a graduate of the Washington University School of Law and is a resident of Montgomery County.
Elizabeth “Betty” Hewlett is being appointed as the representative of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. She is an Attorney at Shipley, Horne & Hewlett, P.A and former Chairman of the Prince George’s County Planning Board at the Maryland National Capital Planning Commission. Ms. Hewlett is a graduate of the Boston College Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a resident of Prince George’s County.
Donald C. Fry is being appointed as a representative of the business community. He is President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Inc., and he is a former member of the Maryland State Senate. Mr. Fry is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and he is a resident of Harford County.
Mark E. Friis is being appointed as a representative of the business community. He is President and CEO of Rodgers Consulting and a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Friis has an M.A. in Public Administration from Hood College and is a resident of Frederick County.
Michele L. Whelley is being appointed as a representative of the transit community. She is President of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, a non-profit organization of the greater Baltimore region and she is the former President of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. Ms. Whelley earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Maryland School of Law and is she is a resident of Baltimore City.
Gary L. Messman, Jr. is being appointed as a representative of the transit community. He is a Senior Operations Specialist for the Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore, Inc. and is Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Accessible Transportation. He has a B.A. in Accounting from Loyola College and is a resident of Baltimore County.
Robert James Etgen is being appointed as a representative of the environmental and smart growth community. He is the Executive Director of Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserve farmland and habitat in rural Maryland. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law and is a resident of Kent County.
Frederick Tutman is being appointed as a representative of the environmental community. He is the Founder and CEO of Patuxent Riverkeeper, a non-profit environmental advocacy organization with 23 years of experience on environmental health and preservation. Mr. Tutman has a Master of Arts degree in Media Management and is a resident of Prince George’s County.
Mahlon G. Anderson is being appointed as a representative of the American Automobile Association.. He is the Director of Government and Public/Media relations for AAA Mid-Atlantic and served in the Montgomery County Panel of Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and the Transportation Policy Review Task Force in Maryland. Mr. Anderson earned an M.P.A. from American University and is a resident of Montgomery County.
Jennifer Macdonald is being appointed as a representative of the freight rail industry. She is Assistant Vice-President of Governmental Affairs for the Association of American Railroads. She earned an M.A. in International Trade, Finance and Development from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Don Bowman is being appointed as a representative of the motor carrier industry. He is Owner and Chairman of D.M. Bowman, Inc. which provides regional van, shorthaul bulk and flatbed service, warehousing, and distribution services. He is a member and past board member of the Hagerstown Associated Builders and Contractors and is also a member of his local Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bowman is a resident of Washington County.
The Honorable Ken Ulman is being appointed as a representative from the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO). He is the Howard County Executive. Mr. Ulman earned a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown Law Center and is a resident of Howard County.
The Honorable Dr. Edith Patterson is being appointed as a representative from the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO). She is Vice President of the Charles County Commissioners and represents Commission District 2. Ms. Patterson also serves as Director of Educational Talent Search for the College of Southern Maryland. She earned an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Bowie State University and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University. She is a resident of Charles County.
Stella M. Miller is being appointed as a representative of the transportation construction industry. She is Owner and President of Stella May Contracting, Inc. She is serving as the 1st Vice Chairman of the Maryland Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America and is a member of the Maryland Washington Minority Contractors Association. Ms. Miller is a resident of Harford County.
The Honorable Judith F. Davis is being appointed as a representative of the Maryland Municipal League (MML). She is the Mayor of Greenbelt, past president of the Prince George's County Municipal Association and member of the board of directors of the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area and the Maryland Mayors Association. She has a M.S. in Education from West Chester State University and is a graduate fellow from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance. Ms. Davis is a resident of Prince George’s County.
The Honorable Diane A. Foster is being appointed as a representative of the Maryland Municipal League (MML). She is a Taneytown Councilmember. She is a member of MML’s Communications Committee and she is a member of the Academy of Excellence in Local Governance. Ms. Foster previously served as Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration. She is a resident of Carroll County.
Jackie Lynn Jeter is being appointed as a representative of labor. She is President and Business Agent of ATU Local 689 (WMATA) Union, a member of the Federal Transportation Administration’s Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety and a member and founding partner of the Coalition to Keep America Moving. Ms. Jeter is a resident of Prince George’s County.
Dennis Martire is being appointed as a representative of labor. He is Vice President and Regional Manager of Mid-Atlantic Regional Laborers’ International Union of North America. He also serves the Director of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority as Chair of the Planning and Construction Committee and member of the Business Administration Committee. Mr. Martire obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Government at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Sharon Clark is being appointed as a representative of the rural areas in Maryland. She is Vice President of Transportation at Perdue Agribusiness Inc. She earned a Masters of Business from Arizona State University and is a resident of Wicomico County.
R. Lamont “Monty” Pagenhardt is being appointed as a representative of rural areas in Maryland. He is County Administrator for Garrett County and is a former Director of Human Resources and Personnel Services for Allegany County. Mr. Pagenhardt is a resident of Garrett County.
Senator Robert J. Garagiola and Senator Nathaniel J. McFadden will represent the Maryland State Senate and Delegate Carolyn J.B. Howard and Delegate Tawanna P. Gaines will represent the Maryland House of Delegates on the Commission.
State Health Services Cost Review Commission
Frederick W. Puddester is being appointed to the Health Services Cost Review Commission and is being designated as Chair. He currently serves as Senior Associate Dean for Finance and Administration for Johns Hopkins University. In this capacity, Mr. Puddester is responsible for the overall fiscal and administrative management of the Krieger School. Previously, Mr. Puddester worked for 21 years in Maryland State government including four years as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management. He holds a BA from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University. He is a resident of Anne Arundel County.
George H. Bone, M.D. is being appointed to the Health Services Cost Review Commission. He is a private practice Physician and Consultant in Internal Medicine at the NIAAA. Dr. Bone has served as Director of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program at the Prince George’s Medical Center and as Medical Staff Fellow for the National Institute of Health. Dr. Bone received a B.S. in Chemistry Engineering from the University of Minnesota and his M.D. from the St. Louis University School of Medicine. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Bernadette C. Loftus, M.D. is being appointed to the Health Services Cost Review Commission. She is an Associate Director of the Permanente Medical Group and serves as the medical leader of the Mid-Atlantic Medical Group. Dr. Loftus has also served as Physician-in-Chief at the Santa Clara Medical Center. She received a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.D. at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is a resident of Montgomery County.
Task Force to Study Nanobiotechnology
Three appointees represent Higher Education institutions in Maryland involved in research or scholarship on nanobiotechnology:
Nariman Farvadin, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Farvadin has lead the University’s development of new educational and research programs in Nanotechnology in partnership with the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the College of Chemical and Life Sciences He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Peter Searson, Ph.D., is the Director of the Institute for Nanobiotechnoloogy at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a professor in Materials Science and Engineering in the Whiting School of Engineering and is Associate Director of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in England and was a post-doctoral associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. He is a resident of Baltimore City.
Peter Swaan, Ph.D., is a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Director of the Center for Nanomedicine and Cellular Delivery of the University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy. He received a Ph.D. on Biopharmaceutics from the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands and a Postdoctoral Fellow from the University of California at San Francisco. He is a resident of Washington, D.C.
Three appointees represent regional or local business organizations that advocate of behalf of the life sciences:
Esther H. Chang, Ph.D. is the interim President of the American Society for Nanomedicine and a member of the Departments of Oncology and Otolaryngology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown University Medical Center. She received a Biology degree from Fu Jen University of Taiwan and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Chang is a resident of Montgomery County.
Steve Desiderio, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of the Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Director of the Immunobiology Program at the Institute for Cell Engineering and Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He earned his M.D. and a Ph.D. on Molecular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is a Postdoctoral Fellow from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Desiderio is a resident of Baltimore City.
Lisbeth Pettengill is Vice President of the Greater Baltimore Committee and former Director of Public and Federal Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She is a graduate of Boston University and the University of Rhode Island. She is a resident of Howard County.
Two appointees represent chief executive officers of private Nanobiotechnology companies:
Patrick Y. Lu, Ph.D. is the Founder, President and CEO of Sirnaomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on Nanoparticle-Enhanced RNAi technology for drug discovery and targeted therapeutics. Dr. Lu received his Ph.D. in Life Sciences from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China and his postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland at College Park and Georgetown University Medical School. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Lawrence Tamarkin Ph.D. is the CEO and Founder of CytImmune Sciences, Inc. e is co-inventor of a core colloidal gold-based nanomedicine platform technology used in 35 national and international patents. He earned a B.S in Biology from SUNY at Stony Brook and a Ph.D. on Endocrinology from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Tamarkin is a resident of Montgomery County.
Senator Jennie M. Forehand and Delegate Susan C. Lee will serve as Co-Chairs of the Task Force.
