Signing the Official Register on my first day as a Delegate
In 2014, I took advantage of a long-awaited opportunity: a real chance to win election to the Maryland General Assembly. Allan Kittleman selflessly chose to leave his safe District 9 seat in Maryland Senate and run for County Executive. Delegate Gail Bates, who held one of the two District 9A seats in the MD House of Delegates filed to run for the Senate. This meant that there was now an open seat, in the 2-member District, 9A. I immediately filed – and so did four others. Thus, we had a 5-way race for the two positions. Incumbent Warren Miller was the clear favorite, and he came in first. Delegate Miller ran closely with another candidate, Frank Mirable, throughout the race, and on election day, Frank and I ran neck and neck. When the absentee ballots were counted and the dust had cleared, I won by a grand total of 65 votes!
Preparing for Serious Politics
Taking one for the Team
In 2010, I agreed to run for county executive against the popular Democrat incumbent, Ken Ulman. It was a tough race, but I managed to keep the Ulman team busy and spending campaign funds on his own race instead of using it to elect other Democrats.
In the Trenches
Members of the Howard County Republican Central Committee, 2006-2010. My team and I won election easily. Here I am pictured with my daughter, Heather Mitchell Thurfield (pictured on the right at the end of the table), and Sandy Harriman (on the left, second one in).
Entrepreneur and Partner in GenderStrategy, LLC
These were exciting years for me. I joined with two colleagues in forming "GenderStrategy, LLC," teaching men and women how better to communicate at work. As part of our training efforts, I wrote a book, "Why Must There Be Dragons." Using dogs and cats as metaphors for men and women, the book creates four senarios that often occur in the workplace, showing how the different ways men and women communicate create unnecessary misunderstandings.
Consultant, New York Taxi & Limousine Commission
2007-2009
As an independent consultant, I was hired to rewrite the New York Taxicab & Limousine Service (NYTLC) regulations into PLAIN ENGLISH -- and they really meant it. The NYTLC oversees not only taxicabs and limousines, but also the "black car" service and paratransit. Part of my work involved reorganizing the 15-chapter set of rules that had grown haphazardly over time (as most laws do) into a cohesive, logically-based set of rules that even non-lawyers could understand. This was one of the most fascinating and challenging jobs I've done, and I was thrilled when my re-write was adopted into law.
President & CEO, Maryland Transportation Authority
Governor Ehrlich and I cut the ribbon the kick off the 2005 Bay Bridge Walk
In my role at the Maryland Transportation Authority, I was responsible for the toll Authority’s seven major transportation facilities, 1,700 employees (including 450 sworn police officers), a $218 million annual operating budget, and a $4.5 billion 6-year capital program.
Given the challenge by Governor Bob Ehrlich my team and I were able to reduce the notorious summer weekend congesion at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge through a series of creative enhancements, sound marketing and "out-of-the-box" ideas, including "EZ-Pass on -the-Go," the BAYSPAN call-in line with up-to-the-minute reports of traffic congestion on the Bay Bridge, and the "Go Early - Stay Late" program.
In 2005, I had the opportunity to lead the last "Bay Bridge Walk" across the 4.2 mile span, with Governor Ehrlich.
Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation
2002-2004
As Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, I served as the chief operating officer. MDOT is the second-largest Department in the State, with 9,100-employees, including the State Highway Administration, the Port of Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport, the Motor Vehicle Administration, and the Maryland Transit Administration (the MTA).
Among the various modes of transportation operated by MDOT is its Paratransit system (provides personal rides for the severely disabled). Because of the number of serious problems, I asked to and did assume responsibility for transforming the State’s paratransit system. My team and I created and initiated the novel Taxi Access program, increased on-time performance from 75 percent to over 90 percent, achieved regulatory compliance, and avoided a Department of Justice lawsuit.
Minority Counsel, U.S. Senate Gov. Affairs Committee, Sen. Fred Thompson
Senior Counsel and Vice President, Legislative Affairs, Marriott International
I thoroughly enjoyed my 5 years with Marriott International. I was hired as a lawyer to work on the Company's fledgling assisted living business. It wasn't' long, however, that the General Counsel discovered my interest in (Republican) politics. And when Ellen Sauerbray ran for Governor in 1994, the General Counsel was Ellen's Montgomery County Finance chair. I began a series of breakfast meetings with possible donors, which took place in the Marriott Boardroom, so that Mr. Marriott could stop by. "Congressman" Bob Ehrlich attended one of these meetings to help the fundraising.
Our most significant effort was the fundraiser that Marriott organized and held for Candidate Sauerbray. The featured guest was former President George H.W. Bush, who helped us raise over $350,000, the largest gubernatorial fundraise for a Republican candidate to that date.
2002
One of the most exciting opportunities I've enjoyed was serving as a minority council for U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, in his role as Ranking Member of the Senate's "Governmental Affairs Committee." This was the year that the Department of Homeland Security was created, and our committee was renamed the "Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee."
Other oversight responsibilities,included investigation of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Nov. 12, 2002, “Asleep at the Switch”), and holding hearings on aspects of the Enron debacle.
