Twenty-two people have applied to fill a seat on the Rockville City Council left vacant when Julie Palakovich Carr was sworn in as a state delegate.
The five-member council is expected to tackle several issues in the coming year, including balancing new residential construction with school capacity and mapping out several residential and retail projects as part of a 20-year master plan.
Priorities listed by the applicants center around maintaining the city’s walkability, managing residential and commercial growth downtown, promoting civic activism among young people and pursuing environmentally sustainable policies.
The mayor and council members are scheduled to interview the candidates Saturday. A second round of interviews is scheduled for March 5.
Palakovich Carr was sworn in Jan. 9 as the newest Democratic delegate representing District 17, which includes Rockville and Gaithersburg.
Council members serve part-time and make $26,376 per year.
The candidate selected will serve until the next election is held Nov. 5. The mayor and council serve four-year-terms and are elected during off-year cycles.
The applicants include:
Alexandra Dace Denito
Employment: Molecular endocrinologist. President of the Lincoln Park Civic Association. Member of the Board of Trustees at the Rockville Science Center, a public-education nonprofit. The staff consists of researchers from Johns Hopkins University’s Rockville campus.
Priorities: Advocate for more school funds from Montgomery County, redevelop Twinbrook and North Stonestreet Avenue, establish an inter-neighborhood public transit option
Christopher Maravilla
Employment: Administrative judge with the Federal Aviation Administration, member of the Rockville Board of Appeals.
Priorities: Improve road salting and playground maintenance, placing more stop signs at four-way intersections, engaging more people in public service
Cynthia Cotte Griffiths
Employment: Executive director of DC-MD Justice For Our Neighbors legal services ministry, member of several city commissions including Rockville Traffic and Transportation Commission, member of the Richard Montgomery High School PTA
Priorities: Ensure safety for pedestrians and cyclists, support affordable housing, encourage more recreation-based businesses
David E. Myles
Employment: Pediatrician, former member of the Navy on medical missions in Central and South America, member of mental health advisory committee in Montgomery County
Priorities: Advocate for pedestrian safety, improve affordable housing, build police-community relations
Edmund Morris
Employment: Entrepreneur since 2000 working in lawn care, catering, consulting and advocacy
Priorities: Improving mass transit, closing the income gap, ensuring accessibility for city buildings
Eric Fulton
Employment: Communication specialist with the U.S. General Services Administration, president of Woodley Gardens West Civic Association
Priorities: Improving economic development, fostering entrepreneurship, improving pedestrian safety
Eugene Thirolf
Employment: Formerly the Director of the Office of Consumer Litigation in the Department of Justice, member of PTAs at Richard Montgomery High School and Beall Elementary School
Priorities: Expanding the tax base, focus on the needs of seniors
Harold E. Hodges
Employment: Founder of an education consulting company, former budget director of the U.S. State Department
Priorities: Creating jobs, building community-police relations, improving youth programs
Jackie Fung
Employment: Insurance and real estate agent
Priorities: Improving development near the Red Gate Farms community, promoting mixed-use development on North Stonestreet Avenue, increasing volunteerism
James J. Hedrick
Employment: Finance specialist at Federal Housing Finance Agency and board member of Rockville Housing Enterprises.
Priorities: Improving transportation options, increasing economic development, promoting environmental sustainability
Jerry Callistein
Employment: Career and business coach, former member of Rockville’s planning commission
Priorities: Encourage mixed-use development, promote diversity
John Daroff
Employment: Attorney and member of the New Mark Commons Board of Directors
Priorities: Managing overcrowding in downtown areas, protecting neighborhoods from growth, building state and county partnerships
John P. Chu
Employment: Federal government employee of 13 years working in the Departments of Health and Human Services, Energy and Consumer Protection Financial Bureau as a senior manager
Priorities: Promoting economic development and environmental sustainability, involving more young people in the political process
Monica Saavoss
Employment: Research economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Priorities: Improve business climate, improve pedestrian safety
Monique Ashton
Employment: Senior vice president at Ogilvy public relations firm, member of several PTAs
Priorities: Promote civic engagement, foster partnerships with County Council and Montgomery County Public Schools
Jane E. Wood
Employment: Pastor at Locust United Methodist Church in Columbia
Priorities: Embracing diversity, improving economic opportunities
Robert J. Wright
Employment: Retired federal government employee of 40 years with the Department of Energy
Priorities: Fiscal sustainability, transitioning to a vote-by-mail system, economic development
Sam Pearson
Employment: Small business owner, former professional federal contractor
Priorities: Improving business climate, increasing walkability
Stephen Sugg
Employment: Former teacher
Priorities: Promoting the arts, improving environmental sustainability, strengthening diversity
Steven R. Johnson
Employment: Former chief counsel to the Maryland Department of the Environment, community engagement committee member with Bethesda Green — an incubator program aimed at creating environmentally-sustainable startups
Priorities: Strengthening business development, improving walkability, building affordable housing
Thomas Gibney
Employment: 30 years in program management in the public and private sectors, industrial engineer, member of Rockville’s traffic and transportation committee
Priorities: Improving transportation options, smart growth
Vincent (Chip) Boylan
Employment: President of the Rockville Recreation & Parks Foundation, member of several Rockville commissions including the Recreation & Park Advisory Board
Priorities: Promote fiscal sustainability, improve communication between council and advisory commissions, foster diversity
This story has been updated to correct a previous version that failed to note that one of the applicants is retired from a previous job listed
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
