BEVERLEY SWAIM-STALEY TO STEP DOWN AS MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY

First woman to hold the position departs after 25 years of state service

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 30, 2012) – Beverley Swaim-Staley, the first woman to be appointed as Maryland’s Transportation Secretary, announced today that she will step down from that position after 25 years of state service. Ms. Swaim-Staley was appointed Secretary by Governor Martin O’Malley in September 2009. Prior to taking the position she had served as Deputy Transportation Secretary from 2007-2009. She had previously served as Deputy Secretary from 1999 through 2003 during which time she also directed all operations at BWI Marshall Airport following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent revolution in airport security. Ms. Swaim-Staley’s resignation is effective July 1 of this year to allow for an orderly transition.

“When Beverley joined our team over five years ago, she was widely recognized for her seasoned leadership,” said Governor O’Malley. “Throughout her tenure, she has solidified her reputation as a skilled and forward thinking executive. With her strong background in both finance and transportation, Beverley guided our transportation efforts during the most difficult economic downturn this country has faced in generations. Despite the economic challenges, we made significant progress including the development of an award winning public-private partnership at the Port of Baltimore and the opening of the Intercounty Connector. I thank her for her years of service.”

In addition to the milestones reached involving the Port of Baltimore and the ICC, during Ms. Swaim-Staley’s tenure she served as Maryland’s senior representative on the inter-jurisdictional effort to strengthen safety and improve the governance of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; oversaw the application of state-of-the-art technology to modernize customer service at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration; improved reliability and on-time performance of the MARC commuter rail system; and, shepherded efforts required to maintain the fiscal health of both the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transportation Authority that operates and maintains the State’s eight toll facilities.

As Secretary, Ms. Swaim-Staley directed initiatives to assure Maryland’s national prominence in the area of minority business development by enhancing the State’s Minority Business Enterprise Program. She also developed the first office within MDOT dedicated to comprehensively addressing equity and diversity issues. Ms. Swaim-Staley was recently named by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials as one of the nation’s most influential women in the transportation industry. In 2010, she was named by the Maryland Washington Minority Contractors’ Association as the Most Inclusive Government Leader of the Year for Minority Business Enterprise.

“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Maryland throughout my professional career,” said Ms. Swaim-Staley. “I chose to make transportation the focus of my government service because I believe it is one of those key areas of government where you can make a positive impact on the lives of citizens across the state. I thank Governor O’Malley and the citizens of Maryland for this tremendous opportunity. I also thank the thousands of employees throughout MDOT who made our collective progress possible.”