Letter of Application to Montgomery County Council - March 2008

March 31, 2008

Council President Michael J. Knapp
Montgomery County Council Office
Stella B. Werner Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Dear Mr. Knapp:

I am pleased to present my application for the position of Member of the Montgomery County Planning Board.

As you know, my interest in serving the Council and the residents of Montgomery County as a member of the Planning Board is longstanding. With the encouragement of members of the Montgomery County Council, I have been privileged to meet with the Council on other occasions to discuss my views about the important planning and development issues facing Montgomery County.

In previous correspondence to the Council and in our meetings, I have shared my ideas about Montgomery County planning. I’ve noted my strong support for preserving Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve and my commitment to smart growth and the idea that “great urban design—focused on great transit, pedestrian safety and convenience, green space, public amenities, arts and culture—is the future for our transit station areas…” I affirmed the Council’s view that that the County’s regulatory processes must be up to the task of 21st century development, and that “community input and transparent decision making are more important than ever.” I also expressed my support for the application of the best principles of community design, adequate public facilities and sustainability to guide future growth and development toward our smart growth centers.

I believe that my appointment to and service on the Montgomery County Planning Board can help the Board move forward with even greater community understanding of its mission and public support for its decisions. I look forward to assisting the Chairman and the other Board members with their work. My experience in environmental, transportation, and housing issues can contribute directly to the Board’s mission.

Montgomery County Service. Throughout my career, I have been extensively involved in community development and planning issues as an attorney, economist and policy analyst. My recent service in Montgomery County includes my work as a member of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, recently renominated by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, and reappointed by you and your colleagues on the Montgomery County Council. It has been my pleasure to serve as Chair of our Board’s Neighborhoods Committee, a hard-working and ever-growing group of Board members and community volunteers who have effectively advocated for many important issues of concern to Montgomery County, generally, and Silver Spring, in particular. I was recently nominated by the County Executive and appointed by this Council to serve as a member of the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Advisory Committee, representing the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board. I am also privileged to serve as a member of the working group that has been established by Councilmembers Berliner and Elrich to help develop Montgomery County Tree Preservation legislation.

In Silver Spring, I serve as President of the Park Hills Civic Association, one of the oldest civic associations in Montgomery County. In this capacity, I have helped our neighbors advocate for environmental protection, public and pedestrian safety, and community revitalization.

Professional Experience and Education. Please recall that my professional experience spans over thirty years working on energy, environment, transportation, housing and agriculture issues, in the public and private sectors. I have worked as an economist for the United States Treasury and the Executive Office of the President and I served as a legislative assistant in the United States House of Representatives. I have also worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Federal Transit Administration, and the U.S Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I am a graduate of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and the Georgetown University Law Center. Currently, I am an attorney and consultant in private practice in Montgomery County.

Executive and Management Experience. I have a record of leadership and accomplishment as a senior executive and manager. In 1999, I was appointed to the Senior Executive Service of the United States. I served as the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Basic Industries, with responsibility for one of the largest group of offices in the International Trade Administration. As U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary, I managed over 100 professional staff members in the U.S Office of Automotive Affairs, the U.S. Office of Energy, Infrastructure and Machinery, and the U.S. Office of Metals, Material and Chemicals. During my tenure at the Commerce Department, I led active and successful programs in China, Russia, Eastern Europe, India, Mexico and Europe, and I supported a dynamic group of public-private partnerships.

Among many significant achievements at Commerce, I developed President Bill Clinton’s Clean Energy Trade Initiative, which promoted the sales of U.S. clean energy and environmental technology throughout the world. I also organized an International Mass Transit Trade Mission, which drew on the resources of the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Transportation and supported the export of U.S. transportation products and intelligent transportation technology to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. I also led the Department’s participation in the President’s China Housing Initiative, which worked with American businesses and key industry trade association to promote the export of U.S. building materials and construction technology.

Board Experience and Expertise. I have extensive and unique high-level experience and expertise with public sector boards and committees that is directly relevant to this appointment. For over ten years, I served as Board Operations Officer at the World Bank Group, assisting its Chairmen, its Corporate Secretaries, Managing Directors and Executive Directors on important Board-related issues. During my tenure at the World Bank, I frequently served as acting Secretary for the Bank’s Audit and Budget Committees and was selected to serve as the Secretary of the Bank Board’s Inspection Panel Working Group. Earlier in my career, I served as the staff economist on President Jimmy Carter’s Commission on World Hunger, a Presidentially-appointed body to examine the nature and extent of domestic and international hunger and to propose policy recommendations for the United States Government.

Over the past year, some of my civic activities have included:

• Community Development: Community and neighborhood revitalization remains a high priority issue for me. Over the past year, as President of the Park Hills Civic Association, I teamed with the Friends of Sligo Creek Park and the Seven Oaks Evanswood Civic Association to bring government and public attention to the critical issue of pollution in Sligo Creek Park. I have worked to help focus government and community attention on underserved neighborhoods in Silver Spring, particularly, Oakview, Northwest Park, Long Branch, South Silver Spring, and Langley Takoma. I have supported the revitalization and new leadership of the Northwest Park/Oakview Weed and Seed Program, and supported the work of the Long Branch Advisory Committee.

• Transportation and Pedestrian Safety: Over the past year, I have participated in the work of the Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, and supported its work on traffic engineering, police manpower, and public education. I have helped to focus government and community attention on critical public mass transit issues in Silver Spring and Montgomery County. I have participated in numerous Maryland Transit Administration Community Focus Groups on the Purple Line, and have organized several MTA briefings on the project for the Park Hills Civic Association.

• Public Safety and Law Enforcement: Following our community’s experience with the Forest Glen Pedestrian Bridge, I have advocated for the application of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to new public projects in Montgomery County, and have encouraged a greater role for the Montgomery County Police Department in the planning and evaluation of new projects such as the Silver Spring Transit Center and the Long Branch pedestrian walkway. Through the Citizens Advisory Board, I have supported the community building and community policing work of the Takoma Langley Community Development Authority and the C-SAFE International Corridors Program. I also had the privilege of serving on the public safety working group of County Executive Isiah Leggett’s Transition Team

• Environmental Protection: I have worked with the Friends of Sligo Creek and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to educate the community about the importance of local water quality, storm water management, and litter control. I participated in the Anacostia Watershed Society’s and the Friends of Sligo Creek’s Earth Day activities in Long Branch and Sligo Creeks.

• Historic Preservation: With a long time interest in historic preservation, I have supported the efforts of various local groups that seek to educate the community about its history and the importance of historic preservation. I supported Montgomery Preservation, Inc.’s efforts to preserve the Comsat building, and I have convened an expert panel on “Neighborhoods and Historic Preservation” with representatives from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Silver Spring Historical Society, the Maryland Native Plants Society, and Montgomery Preservation. Recently, working with representatives of Silver Spring’s Lyttonsville community, the Citizens Advisory Board and the Silver Spring Historical Society, I helped to secure official County recognition of the Lyttonsville community’s contribution to Montgomery County for this year’s Black History Month observance.

Mr. Council President, you might recall that at my interview last year regarding possible appointment to the Planning Board, Councilmember Berliner asked me to provide some preliminary thoughts about the work the Planning Board was doing with regard to a proposed new County Growth Policy. My written response to the Councilmember’s request is included as an addendum to this letter of interest, for your information and use.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to discussing this matter further with you and your colleagues on the County Council.

I hope to have your support for this appointment.

Sincerely yours,

Alan S. Bowser, Esq.