O’Malley puts St. Mary’s voices on series of transition panels

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007

The exact vote was not known, although it was not unanimous, according to several lawmakers.

‘‘I can’t say enough about Johnny Wood who has served the delegation extremely well and with a lot of care and consideration,” said Jameson (D-Charles), who becomes the first woman to chair the delegation.

Wood was chairman for the past four years. His support of outgoing Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) during last year’s election upset some Democrats. A one-time House committee chairman, Wood has seen his influence plummet in recent years as he has been stripped of numerous leadership posts.

‘‘The delegation wanted another leader,” he said hurriedly after the meeting. ‘‘They wanted a lady to lead the delegation.”

Asked if he was disappointed at the delegation’s decision to supplant him, Wood said, ‘‘I got upset four years ago and I haven’t gotten upset since.”

Jameson said she has large shoes to fill and would work to make sure the leadership change causes little or no disruptions. Although 11 of the region’s 12 legislators are Democrats — incoming House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell is the sole Republican — Jameson said Southern Maryland has one of the most tight-knit delegations. ‘‘We work together as a group, regardless of party affiliation,” she said. ‘‘We all want what’s best for Southern Maryland.”

St. Mary’s has voices on O’Malley transition panels

A Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for state delegate last year is among St. Mary’s County residents serving on transition work groups for Gov.-elect Martin O’Malley.

Shortly after winning the gubernatorial election, O’Malley (D) assembled 22 separate steering committees on a variety of topics to help identify his budgetary and legislative priorities.

Clare Calvert Whitbeck, who challenged Del. John F. Wood Jr. (D-St. Mary’s, Charles) in the September Democratic primary, serves on a panel that will advise the incoming governor on aging issues.

Whitbeck, 66, of Leonardtown, is legislative vice president of the United Seniors of Maryland. The panel is chaired by outgoing state Sen. Paula C. Hollinger (D-Baltimore).

Kathleen O’Brien, executive director of Walden, a substance abuse treatment center serving mostly Southern Maryland residents, serves on the health and mental hygiene work group. The co-chairs are Dr. Steven Sharfstein, president and CEOP of Sheppard Pratt Health System, and Ron Peterson, president of Johns Hopkins Health System.

The work group has developed more than 90 ‘‘white papers” outlining the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s emerging issues.

O’Brien said the incoming secretary, who has not yet been announced, will face myriad internal departmental and external policy challenges, such as emergency department overcrowding, prescription drugs, emergency preparedness and workforce development, among others.

‘‘Health care is a major issue,” O’Brien said. ‘‘It affects all citizens and Maryland should be in a position to take the lead in that arena.”

Mary Ann Chasen, executive director of Christmas in April St. Mary’s County, serves on the housing and community development transition team and is on an advisory subgroup that is looking at workforce housing. She is the only St. Mary’s County member of the workgroup.

‘‘I have found though, that no matter where any of the other volunteers are from throughout the state, we all seem to share the same concerns and challenges,” she wrote in an e-mail.

Her panel has three co-chairmen: Raymond Skinner, DHCD secretary under former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA de Maryland, Inc. and Jon M. Laria, a partner in the Baltimore offices of Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll.

Viki Volk of St. George Island is a member of a subcommittee on communications, outreach and education under the natural resources and environment steering work groups.

Region has 3 MACO reps

Three local Southern Maryland politicians, including two commissioner presidents, were officially inducted last week as 2007 representatives on the statewide association for county governments.

Calvert County Commissioners’ President Wilson H. Parran (D) was installed as secretary of the Maryland Association of Counties, the lobbying arm for local governments in Annapolis, at the group’s winter conference in Cambridge. Frederick County Commissioners’ President Jan H. Gardner (D) will serve as MACO president.

The 10-member 2007 MACO Board of Directors will include two Southern Maryland representatives: Charles County Commissioners’ President F. Wayne Cooper (D) and St. Mary’s County Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D).

All three Southern Marylanders will serve on MACO’s legislative committee, which meets regularly during the 90-day session to discuss bills affecting Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions. Each county also has an alternate panelist: Calvert County Commissioner Susan Shaw (R), Charles County Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D) and St. Mary’s Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D).

Alan Brody