• July 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Cameroon: State Government: University Administration: The Gazette: Cameroon RPCV Tom Lewis to be director of state affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions  Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 12:59 pm [1]

Cameroon RPCV Tom Lewis to be director of state affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions



For the past 11 years, Lewis, 48, has served as top aide to two speakers of the House of Delegates - spending eight years with Casper R. Taylor Jr. and, most recently, three years with Michael E. Busch.

Cameroon RPCV Tom Lewis to be director of state affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions

Top aide to 2 House speakers is leaving
Annapolis: After 11 years in a powerful legislative role, Tom Lewis is calling it quits.

By David Nitkin
Originally published Jul 5, 2005
MUCH OF THE heavy lifting in government gets done by people about whom the public never hears.

That's why the name Tom Lewis is not widely known outside a certain circle in Annapolis.

For the past 11 years, Lewis, 48, has served as top aide to two speakers of the House of Delegates - spending eight years with Casper R. Taylor Jr. and, most recently, three years with Michael E. Busch.

The position has made him one of the most powerful staffers in Annapolis. He has served as gatekeeper, negotiator and advocate. His fingerprints mark some of the most significant pieces of legislation of the past decade, including environmental and economic development packages and Medicaid reform efforts.

A quiet presence in the State House, Lewis is also one-half of one of Annapolis' behind-the-scenes power couples.

His wife, Victoria L. Gruber, is a top aide to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. So breakfast table conversation in their household could often determine much of the course of the state's $26 billion budget.

Some have quietly grumbled that Lewis wields too much power. But the overwhelming opinion in Annapolis is that he is a dedicated public servant adept at representing the interests of majority House Democrats - especially in its frequently contentious dealings with the state Senate.

Last week, Lewis announced he would be leaving state government, where he has worked since 1983, except for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.

A major factor in his decision: the taxing hours demanded by the legislative position, especially for a family with two young children.

He has accepted a job as director of state affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions, which includes the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Health System.

"Tom has made a tremendous contribution to public policy and provided a great benefit to the citizens of the state of Maryland," Busch said in a statement.

Lewis said it was "a very hard decision to leave my work with the legislature, and Mike Busch," but he called the chance to work for Hopkins an opportunity too good to pass up.

Two other lawyers in the speakers' office, Kristin Jones and John Favazza, will assume Lewis' duties.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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