Contributor Opinion By Paul Carlson: Cheryl Kagan, The Hardest Working Public Servant I have Ever Known

This contributor opinion is by Paul Carlson, a former Maryland state delegate:

I’ve known Cheryl Kagan close-up as a colleague, mentor, and friend – and with whom I had the honor and pleasure of serving in Annapolis during part of her tenure in the state legislature. She was one of the hardest working public servants I’ve ever known, and was a tireless advocate for the constituents in District 17. She was incredibly focused and involved, leading the charge and pushing through numerous pieces of important legislation – issues from meaningful campaign finance reform, to safeguarding our civil liberties, to improving public safety.

After eight productive years, Cheryl chose not to seek re-election despite the fact she was virtually unopposed. She did not quit. She believed – and still believes – as I do that there are numerous ways to serve the public without becoming a ‘career politician.’ Since her tenure ended in 2003, Cheryl has remained extremely active and visible – first, by working to elect Chris Van Hollen to Congress and them as Executive Director of a local charitable foundation that distributed over $1,000,000 each year to deserving nonprofit organizations. She also contributed her expertise to several nonprofit organizations as a board member and activist. She continued to give her time and talents to support progressive Democratic candidates and causes.

Now that my family and I are residents of District 17, we feel fortunate that someone like Cheryl has decided to return to public office. She possesses the independent-minded, hands-on type of leadership desperately needed by the people of Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park in these tough economic times.

Paul Carlson

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to [email protected]. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

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