County Executive Leopold to Chair BMC
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXECUTIVE LEOPOLD TO CHAIR BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
BALTIMORE (January 29, 2009) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) announced today that Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has been elected Chairman at its Board of Directors meeting. Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon was elected Vice Chair. County Executive Leopold succeeds Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who served as chair in 2008. Other board members include Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith, Jr., Carroll County Commissioner Dean L. Minnich, and Harford County Executive David R. Craig.
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is the organization of the region's elected executives, which serves as a forum for identifying regional interests and developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the region. In addition, BMC provides technical and staff support to the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Baltimore region.
"I am honored that my regional colleagues have chosen me to chair the BMC," Leopold said. "It will take teamwork to ensure that our counties can implement initiatives aimed at improving mass transit, protecting our environment and ensuring that infrastructure is in place to support challenges such as population growth resulting from Base Realignment and Closure."
County Executive Leopold became the seventh Anne Arundel County Executive on December 4, 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Leopold was the first Republican elected to the House of Delegates from District 31 and served for 20 years.
A native of Philadelphia, County Executive Leopold was a long-time resident of Hawaii. He served in the Hawaii State House of Representatives from 1970 to 1974 and the Hawaii State Senate from 1974 to 1978.
Mr. Leopold has served on a number of committees, councils, task forces and boards, including:
- Hawaii State Board of Education, 1968-70 (only Republican ever elected to Hawaii State Board of Education);
- National Advisory Council for the Education of Disadvantaged Children (ESEA, Title I), 1977-79, appointed by President Gerald R. Ford;
- Accountability Task Force (on State Aid to Public Education), 1984-89;
- National Motor Carrier Advisory Committee, 1988-90;
- National Council on Disability, 1991-92, appointed by President George Bush;
- Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, 1996-2004;
- Task Force on Public Charter Schools, 1998;
- State Council on Cancer Control, 2003-06.
In 2000, the National Republican Legislators Association named Mr. Leopold Legislator of the Year. Mr. Leopold also holds the distinction of being the only elected official in the United States to be elected into office in Hawaii and Maryland, after living in each state only one year.
An artist in his own right, Mr. Leopold’s oil paintings have appeared at various art shows in New York City, NY, and Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Leopold expressed amusement when he remembered the day he sold one of his paintings to a clothing storeowner in Iowa City for a three-piece suit back in the mid-1960s.
Before graduating from Hamilton College in 1964, Mr. Leopold played baseball and soccer at the college. He later taught English and coached soccer at a private school in Honolulu, HI.
County Executive Leopold enjoys his pet cat, Francois Rabelais, who is named after a satirist who "irked" the establishment back in the 16th century. By the way, both Francois Rabelais (the man) and Mr. Leopold were born on February 4th.
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Last Updated on Friday, 30 January 2009 04:33