James Piatt
Prince Frederick, MD – James Casey Piatt of Lusby was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Calvert County Board of Education (BOE) Tuesday, Dec. 2. The appointment was made by unanimous vote by the Calvert County Commissioners. The seat was vacated by Joseph R. Chenelly, who resigned last month and has moved out of state for family-related reasons. Chenelly represented the First Election District on the BOE.
Piatt, who holds a master’s degree in business administration and is employed at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, was one of 15 candidates who applied for the unoccupied school board seat. He was not at the commissioners’ meeting when the appointment was announced. A call to his residence had not been returned as this story was being filed.
The commissioners extended invitations to all of the applicants to meet for interviews, which were held in closed sessions. Thirteen applicants, including Piatt, agreed to the interviews.
“I like the process that we did,” said Commissioner Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R] who placed Piatt’s name into nomination. Slaughenhoupt noted that this was the first time the Calvert County Commissioners have appointed a school board member. The BOE became an elected body in 1996 after a countywide referendum in 1995.
“We had excellent applicants,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R], who added each candidate demonstrated “tremendous sincerity, tremendous interest. We probably couldn’t make a bad decision.” Of Piatt, Shaw stated, “he’ll bring a new ear and new eye” to the BOE.
“This gentleman, in my opinion, brings a lot to the table that we may have been lacking on the board of education,” said Commissioner Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark [R], who noted the budget processes for both the county commissioners and BOE will continue to be challenging going forward. “There will have to be innovative ways, we’ll have to do more with less.”
Clark, who lost his bid for reelection to a fourth term during the June Primary, called recent criticism of the board of county commissioners’ money management “very disappointing.” He called Piatt’s appointment “a good thing. We will have a functioning school board. Everybody needs to rally around this new school board and county commissioners. Let’s move this county forward.”
Calvert Education Association (CEA) President Debbie Russ said after the commissioners’ announcement that her organization, which represents Calvert’s public school teachers, had recommended Clifton Savoy for the appointment but indicated the CEA is prepared to work with Piatt and the other members of the BOE.
Piatt will be joined on the BOE in January by newly elected members Pamela Cousins and Bill Phalen, who won at-large seats in the November General.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
