Trial by fire in the Senate, a Bay Trust shuffle and more help for Howard, in political notes

Well, it’s fair to assume Alexandra Smith won’t be bored in her first week on the new job.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) announced Friday that Smith will join his office as the senior adviser for strategy and external affairs — just days before lawmakers return for a special session on the contentious issue of congressional redistricting.

She won’t need a lot of time to get to know the new boss: Smith served as Ferguson’s campaign manager for his surprisingly tough Democratic primary win in June.

“Alli was an instrumental part of our winning election, but she will bring experience to this office that extends well beyond campaigns,” Ferguson said in a statement announcing the appointment. “She has spent more than a decade helping government navigate complex challenges, build strong partnerships, and deliver for Baltimore residents.”

Smith worked more than 11 years in Baltimore City government, where Ferguson’s office said she served in senior roles in the mayor’s office and “led cross-agency work spanning public safety, behavioral health, communications, community engagement, and the implementation of major executive priorities.”

Smith said she looks forward to working in the Senate, and thanked Ferguson for the opportunity “to continue serving in a new way.”

“Throughout my career, I’ve believed that good government is built through thoughtful leadership, strong relationships, and a relentless commitment to solving complex problems,” said Alexandra Smith. “I look forward to drawing on the relationships and experience I built serving four mayors to support his work for Baltimore and communities across Maryland.”

Changes at top of Chesapeake Bay Trust

After more than two decades with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Jana Davis will step down as president on Sept. 18 and be replaced by another longtime trust veteran, Kacey Wetzel, the organization announced this week.

Maryland lawmakers open limited window for public testimony on redistricting

Davis saw the trust through a period of unprecedented growth, the press release announcing her retirement said. The trust’s funding grew from $$2,4 million in grant awards in 2005, when she started, to $39.8 million last year. The trust has awarded more than $250 million in grants to local groups that planted 9.6 million trees and native plants, removed 14.4 million pounds of litter and engaged 3.4 million volunteers, the release said.

“Jana built the Chesapeake Bay Trust into one of the nation’s leading environmental grantmaking organizations,” said Alexander Núñez, chair of the trust’s Board of Trustees. “Her strategic vision and leadership always centered on empowering everyday people to lead meaningful conservation work for their own communities. We are immensely grateful for her leadership.”

The board voted to appoint Wetzel, an 18-year veteran who currently serves as vice presidents of outreach and education programs, to success Davis as president. Núñez said Wetzel “earns this opportunity as the result of her forward-thinking approach, proven leadership, consistently high level of performance, and unwavering commitment to our mission.”

Davis will remain as a part-time senior science policy adviser, providing support during the transition. Davis, who said serving with trust staff, directors and grant recipients has been “the privilege of a lifetime,” praised Wetzel’s selection as her successor.

“I could not be more confident in Kacey’s leadership,” said Davis. “Having worked alongside Kacey for nearly two decades, I have seen firsthand her commitment to our mission.”

The nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Trust, created by the General Assembly in 1985, gives grants to schools, local governments and other nonprofit organizations to support the health of the Chesapeake Bay, coastal bays and Youghiogheny River watersheds. It is supported by the sale of the bay license plates, donations on state tax returns the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund, donations form hunters, fishers and boaters, and other public and private support.

And friends, they may think it’s a movement!

With apologies to Arlo Guthrie, first it was one, then two, but now, folks, we may have a movement on our hands.

At least that’s what it looks like with the announcement Friday by St. Mary’s College of Maryland that it will offer help to some of the hundreds of incoming Howard University students who were abruptly told last month that they had been disenrolled for failing to make payments or meet paperwork requirements.

In response to that announcement, the University of the District of Columbia invited the 502 affected Howard students to apply. That was followed earlier this week by an offer from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who directed State University of New York schools and the City University of New York to expedite applications from the disenrolled Howard students and to offer and $800 credit to make up for a nonrefundable deposit the students had to pay Howard.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore offered a similar deal Thursday at schools in the University System of Maryland. And St. Mary’s followed Friday, waiving its own application fee and upping the credit for Howard students to $1,000.

“Our priority is helping students stay on track toward earning their degree,” said David Hautanen Jr., St. Mary’s vice president for enrollment management, in a statement announcing the move. “We recognize that unexpected circumstances can create uncertainty, and we’re committed to helping students continue their education with as little disruption as possible.”

It’s unclear how many Howard students might take up the other schools on their offers. About 200 of the original 502 Howard students — many of whom blamed the paperwork errors on the university or said they were waiting for financial aid to clear to make their payments — were readmitted to the freshman class after school officials took another look at their records.

It’s also unclear where the money for the $800 credit will come from, should any of the hundreds of students still out there take the state up on Moore’s offer. A spokesman for his office referred questions Thursday to the Maryland Higher Education Commission, which said in a statement Friday that the system is “moving swiftly to execute the Governor’s mandate” and that “further guidance regarding eligibility and the financial credit will be provided as our assessment is completed.”