Politics & Government
Mayor to Fill Role as Deputy Secretary of State
On April 20, Mayor Fosselman will join the governor's team.
Mayor Peter Fosselman is quitting his day job to become the new deputy secretary of state but will stay on as the mayor of Kensington.
Starting April 20, Fosselman will have resigned from his current full-time job as an urban planner to fill the role of deputy secretary of state, a position appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.
"It's a whole array of responsibilities," Fosselman said of his new position. "I'll be overseeing the charities and legal services."
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What that entails, he said, is regulating charitable organizations, fundraising councils, professional solicitors and notaries of public. Additionally, he will oversee investigations of public concerns and be the speaker for the community. Fosselman will also work with Giving Wisely, the state's public relations program, to channel giving to nonprofits in Maryland, and he'll work with the Safe-At-Home program, which provides anonymous addresses to victims of domestic violence.
In addition to all of his new full-time duties, Fosselman will maintain his role as Kensington's mayor.
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"I'll still be the chief executive officer of the town," he said. "I'll still be working on the usual duties."
Fosselman said that he will juggle his two position as he has in the past: working his full-time job and then doing mayoral work on the weekends and during odd hours throughout the week.
"There's flexibility through the 21st century," he said. "E-mail and the telephone make it easier to communicate with people."
Additionally, Kensington has a town manager who oversees the day to day duties.
The deputy secretary of state position could be a launching step to further Fosselman's role in government, but that isn't a focus for the mayor yet.
"I certainly may have interest in a higher elected position in the future, but I have no plans at this time," Fosselman said. "I want to focus on finishing the Sector Plan [for Kensington] and focus on my new responsibilities, and once I become acclimated, really focusing on the governor's mission."