09/01/2009
source - Governor's Office

STATE OF MARYLAND
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY APPOINTS 
BEVERLEY SWAIM-STALEY 
AS HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
Swaim-Staley First Woman to Lead Maryland’s Largest Multi-billion Dollar Agency

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 1, 2009) - Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the appointment of Beverley Swaim-Staley to head the Department of Transportation, and swore her in at a ceremony held in the Governor’s Reception Room at the State House. Ms. Swaim-Staley is the first woman to head Maryland’s largest State agency, with over 9,000 employees, and will oversee a multi-billion dollar budget. Secretary Swaim-Staley’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
 
“I am proud to nominate Ms. Swaim-Staley to lead the Maryland Department of Transportation. As a state we are committed to building a statewide vision for transportation including transit and roads, and I am confident that Ms. Swaim-Staley has the expertise necessary to help us meet the challenges and opportunities ahead,” said Governor O’Malley. “With nearly 12 years of experience as Deputy Transportation Secretary and Chief Financial Officer for MDOT, Beverley Swaim-Staley has the deep knowledge of transportation issues impacting our State and the management and financial expertise that are necessary for us to move forward.”
 
“I appreciate this opportunity to continue to serve the citizens of Maryland,” said Secretary Swaim-Staley. “Since taking office, Governor O'Malley has been successful in implementing a balanced and sustainable transportation vision for the state, even in these challenging economic times. As we move forward, our job will be to build on this momentum by continuing to develop efficient, effective and environmentally sound solutions to address our transportation needs. Working together with our congressional delegation and our partners in the legislature and local government, I am confident that we will be successful.” 

Beverley Swaim-Staley is currently the Acting Secretary for the Department of Transportation, and served as Deputy Secretary from 2007 to the present. In that capacity, she serves as the Chief Operating Officer and oversees the operations including financial, planning, procurement, and human resources management for the Department. Ms. Swaim-Staley also supervised the Departments federal and State legislative agendas, developed and promoted Maryland’s priorities to the Washington Metropilitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), expanded the capability of the State Minority Business Enterprise program by increasing resources for outreach and certification.
 
“It is a smart move by Governor O’Malley to place a seasoned professional at the helm of MDOT,” said former Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari. “Beverley is as well versed in transportation issues as anyone in the country and her thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Maryland will be invaluable.”
 
From 2003 to 2007, Ms. Swaim-Staley served as the Director for the Office of Budget and Management for Montgomery County. In that role, she developed and implemented Montgomery County’s $3 billion operating and capital budgets, 6-year fiscal plan and 6-year capital improvement program. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Secretary in the Maryland Department of Transportation, and also served as Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Transportation from 1993 to 1997. From 1983 to 1993 she was a Budget and Policy Analyst for the Maryland General Assembly.
 
Ms. Swaim-Staley received the “Woman of Achievement” award from the Suburban Maryland Business And Professional Women in 2005, the “Woman of the Year” at the Women’s Transportation Seminar in 2002, and was selected for the Eno Foundation Study Tour in 1998. She is a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, serving as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Administration and the Standing Committee on Rail Transportation. She is also a Board Member of the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials, and a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Arundel Community Development Services.
 
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland in 1977 and received her Master of Arts in Contemporary Government from Hood College in 1982. She is a resident of Davidsonville, Maryland. 

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