O'Malley Names Summers As Secretary Of Environment
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley made personnel changes in his administration during a Cabinet meeting Thursday in which he touched on the recent legislative session and work that remains for the rest of his term.
O'Malley appointed Robert Summers as the state's secretary of the environment. Summers had been serving in an acting capacity since December. Summers has also served as deputy secretary for the agency since January 2007.
O'Malley also announced that Bryan Sivak will be the administration's first chief innovation officer. Sivak served as chief technology officer for former Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty. O'Malley said Sivak will focus on using geographic information systems to better track health care costs.
The governor also named Cassie Motz, who has served as an attorney for the administration, as deputy chief of staff.
O'Malley also touted his Invest Maryland initiative, which was approved by the General Assembly earlier this month. The governor's initial idea for the state to auction $142 million in tax credits was scaled back to $100 million. The state can use the proceeds from the auction — up to $75 million — to invest in high-tech businesses.
"The good news is we have a tremendous delta of opportunity to cross, and the Legislature saw the merits in accelerating the realization of new jobs through that," O'Malley said.
The governor also noted that plenty of economic challenges remain.
"The economy is starting to get a little bit better, but we still have a long road ahead of us," O'Malley told reporters before the closed-door meeting.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
