Governor Martin O'Malley Submits "Green Bag" Nominations
Green bag nominations include the Secretary of Juvenile Services and nomincations made to local election boards; New nominations made to the Washington Suburban Transit Commission, the Critical Area Commission, the Stadium Authority and more
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 18, 2011)–Governor Martin O’Malley today submitted a list of 225 “green bag” nominations for appointment and reappointment to the Maryland Senate for State boards and commissions. The list includes 122 nominations to the local Election Boards.
“I am proud to announce several appointments and reappointments for key leadership positions throughout Maryland,” said Governor O’Malley. “We have worked diligently to put forward a list of individuals who represent diverse gender, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds and whose skills and talents will help us continue the vital progress we are making to protect our shared priorities. We are grateful that they have chosen to step up and serve the people of Maryland.”
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 new appointments, the 2011 “green bag” include the following:
Washington Suburban Transit Commission
The Honorable Michael Barnes is a former United States Congressman and a Senior Counsel for Covington and Burling LLP. He has practiced law and served on numerous prestigious domestic and international posts including service as President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Chair of the Center for National Policy, Chair of the U.S. Panama Business Council and Co-Chair of the Committee for the United Nations Development Program. He has been a member of the Governor’s Commission on Growth in the Chesapeake Bay region and a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, University of Maryland Foundation and the Center for International Policy. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studied international relations and economics at the Institut Universitaire des Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland and received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University School of Law. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Secretary of Juvenile Services
Sam Abed, Esquire, comes to Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) with exceptional knowledge and experience in managing a juvenile justice agency. He served as Deputy Director of Operations at the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, with direct supervision over the juvenile justice operations, including the supervision of 6 juvenile correctional facilities and 32 court service units statewide. As Chair of the juvenile focus area committee and member of the interagency leadership team, he oversaw the development of the agency’s re-entry strategic plan. As Chief Deputy Director he supervised an agency budget of over $200 million and the development of a faith based mentoring program for incarcerated youth. Prior to that, Mr. Abed served as Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for the Office of the Sussex County Commonwealth’s Attorney as well as the Office of the City of Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney. He also served as Commissioner for the Virginia Commission for National and Community Service. Mr. Abed received a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and completed an internship at the American University in Cairo, Arabic Language Institute. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law. He is a resident of Baltimore City.
Maryland Stadium Authority
Weldon H. Latham, Esquire is a senior Partner in the Washington D.C. Region office of Jackson Lewis, LLP and serves as Chair of the firm’s Corporate Diversity Counseling Group. He has served as Assistant General Counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget under the Ford Administration, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Carter Administration, member of the Defense Department Advisory Committee during the Bush Sr. Administration and Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army during the Clinton and the G.W. Bush Administrations. He has also served on the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for more than a decade. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University School of Law and an M.C.E. from Dartmouth College. He is a resident of Montgomery County.
Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays:
Virginia Claggett is being nominated to fill an At Large seat. She is a former Delegate from Legislative District 30 and a former Anne Arundel Council Member. As a Delegate, she served on the Environmental Matters Committee and the Joint Committee on Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Areas and was a member of the Maryland Green Caucus. She received a bachelors degree in History from Smith College and is a resident of Anne Arundel County.
Vincent J. Gardina is being nominated to fill the seat of an appointed or elected official from Baltimore County. He is the Director of the Baltimore County Department of Protection and Sustainability. He has earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a resident of Baltimore County.
The Honorable Donald East Sutton is being nominated to fill the seat of an appointed or elected official from Kent County. He is a Project Manager for McCrone, Inc and an elected Betterton Town Council Member. He has over 33 years of survey experience and is a resident of Kent County.
John Bloxom, Esquire is being nominated to fill the seat of an appointed or elected official from Worcester/Chesapeake Bay. He is County Attorney for Worcester County. He is a retired U.S. Naval Reserve Officer and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. Mr. Bloxom is a resident of Worcester County.
Mark Konapelsky is being nominated to fill the seat of a citizen from Somerset. He is Building Code Officer for Somerset County. He earned a bachelors degree in Business Management from DeSales University. He is a resident of Somerset County.
Carolyn Cummins is being nominated to fill the seat of a citizen from Worcester/Atlantic Bay. She is a store operator and manager of the foster horse program for the Assateague Island Alliance and currently serves as Treasurer. She received a bachelors degree in History and Social Science from Longwood College. She is a resident of Worcester County.
Maryland Parole Commission
Christopher John Reynolds, Esquire is a Partner at Reynolds and Manning, P.A. He has been a Partner at the Law Offices of Christopher J. Reynolds, at Peper, Martin, Jense, Maichel and Hetlage, and a Partner and an Associate at Demsey and Koplovitz. He has been admitted at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the United States and the Court of Appeals of Maryland. He received a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Santa Clara and his Juris Doctor degree from the Washington College of Law at American University. He is a resident of Calvert County.
H. Erle Schafer, Esquire is Deputy Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). He has served as Project Manager for the Drug Intervention Project at the Anne Arundel County Health Department, as Clerk of the Circuit Court and as Project Manager of the Drug Court. He served as State Senator from 1979 to 1983 and as Anne Arundel County Council member from 1970 to 1974. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a resident of Anne Arundel County.
For a complete list of the 2011 green bag nominations, please click here.
