Four weeks into office, Gov. Martin O?Malley sent the state Senate 145 appointments to dozens of state and local boards and commissions in thetraditional “green” bag.
The nominees for Senate confirmation ranged from members of the Amusement Ride Safety Board to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.
Scores of new members were named to all 24 local boards of elections, since the switch from a Republican to a Democratic governor meant all the boards must now have a majority of Democrats overseeing local elections.
Many positions are part time with little or no pay, such as the elections boards; others are paid positions with substantial salaries such as the Public Service Commission, Parole Commission and Workers Compensation Commission.
Former Baltimore County Sen. Michael Collins was reappointed to the Board of Contract Appeals. Former Democratic state Sens. Perry Sfikas and Nancy Murphy were reappointed to the Parole Commission, along with Michael Blount.
Former Gov. Glendening Budget Secretary Frederick Puddester, now budget director at Johns Hopkins University, was appointed to the Stadium Authority, as was Otis Rolley, Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon?s chief of staff.
One of the most prestigious but unpaid boards is the university regents.
Former Congressman Thomas McMillen, now a venture capitalist, replaces Dick Hug, who was chief fundraiser for Gov. Robert Ehrlich and resigned last year; James Shea, chairman of the Venable law firm, and Barry Gosset, chairman of sales consulting firm Chapman Group, are replacing Cheryl Krongard and James Brady, appointed last year, but never confirmed by the Senate.
McMillen, Shea and Gossett are all alumni of the University of Maryland, College Park and trustees of its foundation.
Rep. Elijah Cummings was added to the separate Board of Regents for Morgan State University, where he joins the man he replaced in Congress, Kweisi Mfume, who was reappointed to the board.
The appointments were presented Friday.
