Fitzwater transition team has nearly 100 people across eight committees

Jack Hogan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read

Dec. 7—Nearly 100 people will serve on Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater's transition team over the next three months, she said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Fitzwater's transition team is spread over eight committees, including one comprising senior advisors and others focused on economic development, government innovation, housing, public health, public safety and more.

The transition team will work through February developing recommendations for an official transition plan that the county is expected to publish in early March, Fitzwater said.

"That document will be a way for the public to measure our progress over the next four years," Fitzwater said.

Her transition team co-chairs are Toni Bowie, founder and managing partner of the Frederick-based workforce development firm MaxLife, and Rick Weldon, president and chief executive officer of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

Fitzwater, D, announced her transition team co-chairs during a press briefing with former County Executive Jan Gardner, a fellow Democrat, in November.

Providing support to the transition team will be Pat Murray, also a senior advisor to Fitzwater. Murray was the chief of staff for the late Maryland state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., and he was an aide to the late House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch.

Most recently, Murray was the chief of staff for Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.

Fitzwater's transition team is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Winchester Hall. The meeting will be open to the public. It will also be broadcast live on FCG TV on cable channels 19 and 1085 and available to stream at FrederickCountyMD.gov/FCGTV.

For live translations, watch on FrederickCountyMD.gov/Transition, which is also the official website for Fitzwater's transition team.

Below are the names of Fitzwater's senior advisors and the co-chairs for the transition team's seven working committees:

Senior advisors

— Marvin Ausherman

— Elizabeth Chung

— Thad Goodman

— Sue Hecht

— Ted Luck

— Helen Propheter

— Joe Richardson

— Olivia White

— Outgoing Maryland state Sen. Ron Young

Economic development and jobs

— Jason Lee, CEO of Lee Building Maintenance

— Linda Thane-Morgan, small business owner

Education and workforce development

— Missy Dirks, Frederick County Teachers Association president and an elementary school art teacher

— Melissa Muntz, executive director of the Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick County

Government innovation

— Dr. Rachel Mandel, health care executive

— Gayon Sampson, chief of staff for Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor

Housing and quality of life

— Mark Long, chair of the Emmitsburg Planning Commission

— Ryan Trout, senior level housing policy and program professional

Public health and human services

— Malcolm Furgol, executive director of the Frederick County Health Care Coalition

— Denise Rollins, executive director of the Whole Heart Grief and Life Resource Center and co-owner of the Rollins Life Celebration Center

Public safety

— Kim Dine, former Frederick chief of police

— Clarence "Chip" Jewell, president/deputy chief of the Libertytown Volunteer Fire Department and vice chairman of the Executive Committee of the Maryland State Firemen's Association

Sustainability, infrastructure and transportation

— Dusty Rood, president and CEO of Rodgers Consulting

— Barbara Trader, co-chaired the Climate Emergency Mobilization Workgroup and co-authored its final report

A list of the additional committee members who are part of Fitzwater's transition team can be found at FrederickCountyMD.gov/Transition.

Editor's note: Pilar Olivo, a member of the public health and human services committee for the transition team, is married to Geordie Wilson, publisher of The Frederick News-Post.

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan