I have enjoyed serving as HCCA President  and have headed up the environmental portfolio. I helped to revive an environmental networking group that meets monthly and runs a Yahoo environmental listserve (hccenvironment) of 82 members. I have testified locally and at the state level to support various environmental issues. I hope to continue building this network to encourage and assist environmental groups and individuals in Howard County.

Having closely followed the General Growth Properties plan for the re-development of downtown Columbia since the charrette, I appreciate HCCA’s contribution to this process on behalf of citizens and its role in informing the public . I appreciate the opportunity to bring my perspective to HCCA on this issue in particular. I am also familiar with the county’s Route 40 Plan and other issues of current interest to HCCA such as environmental issues, petition requirements, affordable housing, health care, infill development, development in the western part of the county, traffic issues, park development, etc.

I strongly believe that the best way to insure that the county (and state and federal) government follows the right path is to have an informed and active citizenry. HCCA provides that opportunity and I am happy to serve as the HCCA Vice President.

In testimony and meetings we have had significant success in strengthening residents’ roles in land use, ensuring the Downtown master plan is feasible, and working to preserve the rural west.  Additionally, in response to HCCA’s request, the County Executive boosted the priority of the Route 40 Design Manual.

On the public health front, the HCCA has been instrumental in helping to reduce wait times and address residents ‘problems with the local hospital Emergency Room.

An excellent board of directors, webmaster and listserve moderator have made these successes possible, and member participation in e-mail listserve discussions has provided guidance and advanced our understanding of issues.

In addition to serving as HCCA Treasurer, I serve on the Howard County Public Adult Guardianship Review Board. I am admitted to practice law in Maryland. I work for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I’m also on the Board of the Howard County Historical Society and am second vice president of that organization. And, I serve as the secretary of a newly organized group known as “Concerned Citizens of Western Howard County, Inc.

I was the founder of Citizens for an Open Process for Everyone (COPE). In past years, I was quite active in HCCA before it almost became defunct; thanks to Bridget, it has come to life.

I joined the HCCA board because I believe we have to be active on a local level to protect the environment. I agree with the HCCA mission statement and have already worked to reach the majority of it’s goals. Finally, I  love living in Howard County and want to see the county looked after for future generations.

My involvement in the community has been in the following areas:

• I requested HCCA work with the County and Hospital officials to inform the public on the Emergency Room services for the purposes of reducing the waiting time and yellow/red alerts.  HCCA formed an Emergency Room Committee whereby all parties are working together in this effort.
• BRAC Committee Member
• Safety concerns on Route 32
• Active role in testifying on development in the County (Emerson, Maple Lawn and Route 1)
• Testified against the Trash Fee
• Worked with SHA to get rumbled strips installed on Route 216 near Maple Lawn
• Member of the County Executive’s Transition Team
• Suggested County Executive’s Annual Town Meeting
• Requested artwork by Howard County students be updated annually in the GeorgeHoward Building - Bannecker Room

Strategic planning, common sense, and execution are the essence of a successful community. My objective is to be involved and play a role in making our County a place where we can all be proud to live.

I first became a community activist due to the alignment of Route 100 through my neighborhood of Hunt Country Estates in 1993.  The state and the county were in favor of razing our homes to accommodate Route 100 rather than align it through cornfields on the other side of Deep Run Creek.  Imagine that.  Due to the shift of the original alignment to a more environmentally friendly one, the EIS was redone and new alignments were proposed by the community for consideration.  The alignment I drafted is the one in use today, dubbed the Lazy S.  One of the lessons I learned from this is that you can fight City Hall and win, but it takes the support from dedicated individuals & surrounding communities and legal expertise to make it a success.

As a result of efforts to get county wide community support, I became involved with the Greater Elkridge Community Association (GECA), becoming involved in various committees, giving GP testimony, and holding the offices of 1^st VP, President, 2^nd VP, and Director-at-large.    I have served on the Boards of the Howard County Family Childcare Association, the Maryland State Family Childcare Association, and the Hunt Country Estates Community Association.  I am a fairly new member of the Elkridge Heritage Society and the Friends of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Greenway.   I currently have the honor of serving on County Executive Ulman’s General Plan Task Force.

Like GECA, I think HCCA has done an outstanding job in influencing our legislators and educating our citizenry with meaningful dialogue, and so I look forward to working on the HCCA Board of Directors.