November 28, 2018
CONTACT: Scott L. Peterson, 202-277-9412
Columbia, MD – Today, Howard County Executive-Elect Calvin Ball announced his Howard County leadership team. Dr. Ball has selected:
- Lonnie R. Robbins, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
- Sameer Sidh, Chief of Staff
- Angela Lagdameo Cabellon, Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
- Jennifer Jones, Deputy Chief of Staff
- Maureen Evans Arthurs, Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Partnerships
- Shaina Hernandez, Senior Adviser for Policy
- Scott L. Peterson, Director of Communications
- Kimberly Pruim, Director of Constituent Services and Community Partnerships
“This is a strong and talented team of professionals to advise and assist me,” said County Executive Elect Ball. “I looked for experienced, innovative leaders to help me best serve our community.”
Dr. Ball has attracted an exceptional, diverse leadership team to represent Howard County and help build the best community for all. His leadership team features individuals with executive experience from the private and public sector, federal, state and local government, as well as academic institutions ranging from Harvard to Towson to a cadre of Maryland Terps and a couple of UMBC Retrievers.
“Howard County is best served with a mix of proven experience with new creative ideas,” added County Executive Elect Ball. “Lonnie Robbins is a consistent and well-known county leader for nearly three decades and Sameer Sidh is dynamic and forward-thinking. It was also important for me to find individuals such as Jennifer Jones and Maureen Evans Arthurs, native Howard County residents, who wanted to use their talents to serve their home county.”
“It has been an honor to serve as CAO for the past 11 years, and I have been fortunate to have worked with thousands of Howard County employees, residents, businesses, and stakeholders during my tenure,” said Chief Administrative Officer Lonnie R. Robbins. “Howard County is one of the most highly functioning and achieving jurisdictions in our nation. I look forward to assisting the new administration to ensure efficient operation of government and effective use of tax dollars in delivering services.”
“I am excited to join the administration of a visionary leader like Calvin Ball and be a member of the team he is assembling,” said incoming Chief of Staff Sameer Sidh. “I will utilize my experience as a public-sector problem solver and background in data-driven management to deliver efficient services to the residents of Howard County and improve transparency in government operations.”
“I am thrilled to be able to bring my passion, energy and expertise to Howard County where my own family lives, works and plays,” said Angela Lagdameo Cabellon, incoming Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. “I have long held a deep desire to serve in our thriving and diverse community while continuing its tradition of innovation.”
“I'm excited to work in an administration that prioritizes the values that originally brought my family to Howard County - a strong public-school system, economic opportunity and community engagement,” said incoming Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Jones.
“I, along with my senior staff, are dedicated to governing Howard County utilizing efficient, innovative and effective practices,” said County Executive Elect Ball. “We are committed to protecting, progressing and promoting Howard County while expanding opportunity and improving the quality of life for all of our residents. I look forward to being sworn in next Monday and invite all the residents of Howard County to join me and my family by attending or watching this important community event.”
County Executive Elect Ball will be sworn in as the 10th Howard County Executive on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Howard High School, 8700 Old Annapolis Road in Ellicott City. The ceremony will be streamed live on the county’s website at http://www.howardcountymd.gov.
BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS:
Lonnie R. Robbins, Chief Administrative Officer
Lonnie R. Robbins was appointed Howard County Chief Administrative Officer effective January 3, 2007 after serving as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer since 2004. He began his career with Howard County government as an Assistant County Solicitor in the Office of Law in 1989, and was named a Senior Assistant County Solicitor in 1993.
In these capacities, he advised and represented various County departments and agencies, including the Police Department, Police Hearing Board, County Council, Purchasing, Citizen Services, Transportation and Recreation and Parks. In addition, he represented various boards and commissions, including the Board of Appeals, Human Rights, Ethics, Mental health Authority, Local Children’s Board, Equal Business Opportunity and the Economic Development Authority.
Robbins currently serves as a Trustee of both the Howard County Employee’s Pension Plan and the Howard County Police and Fire Pension Plan. Robbins is admitted to practice law in Maryland and Pennsylvania state courts, as well as in the Federal District Court of Maryland and the Supreme Court of the United States.
A native of Snow Hill, Maryland, Robbins attended the University of Maryland College Park. He earned a B.S. degree in Business and Public Administration, with a concentration in Transportation. He later received his J.D. degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Sameer Sidh, Chief of Staff
Sameer Sidh previously served as Chief of Staff at Towson University. In the Chief of Staff position at TU, Sidh led planning, coordination, and project management of presidential-initiated efforts, and worked closely with the university’s leadership team to “boundary span” across university divisions to ensure alignment of objectives and budget.
Sidh came to Towson University from the Office of the Mayor of Baltimore City, where he served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Citistat. In his tenure as director, Sidh drove significant productivity and transparency improvements through increased communications and convening cross-agency and cross-sector workgroups.
Prior to serving as the Director of Citistat, Sidh worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Maryland Department of Transportation where he held a position on the senior executive team of a 9,000-employee department collaborating on policy direction with senior management. He also previously served as both Acting Director and Deputy Director of the StateStat in the Office of the Governor.
Sidh holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and is a member of the Maryland State Bar. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University.
Angela Lagdameo Cabellon, Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Angela Lagdameo Cabellon worked in state government for ten years and gained a reputation of increasing efficiency and effectiveness across organizations. She recently hailed from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services where she served as the Social Services Officer and Deputy Chief of Children, Youth and Family Services, managing $38M in social service programs funded by the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) and a workforce of nearly 500 people. She oversaw technology modernization and business process redesign in 6 offices.
Previously, Lagdameo Cabellon served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Program Management at DHS where she advised on policy and oversaw strategic initiatives on child welfare, child support, workforce development, the Affordable Care Act, and economic assistance.
Lagdameo Cabellon got her start in state government through preparing all education policy briefings for the Director of Policy and former Governor O’Malley while analyzing early learning, education, and workforce data.
Lagdameo Cabellon was a Teach for America Corps Member in San Jose, California teaching Special Education English at Independence High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Jennifer Jones, Deputy Chief of Staff
Since 2015, Jennifer Jones has worked as a business development consultant for small and midsize companies both nationally and internationally. In this role, Jones advised clients on new business development projects and planning, conducted market research to determine expansion opportunities and risks, and developed integrated reporting and analytics. Most recently, Jones
acted as the Field Director for County Executive-elect Ball.
Prior to starting her consulting company, Jones spent eight years at Live Nation Entertainment, most recently as the Vice President of Business Analysis, Europe, where she worked directly with the president and chief financial officer to implement corporate strategy and business development initiatives. Jones also spent time at Sony Pictures, United Cinemas International, and Ernst & Young LLP.
A Howard County native and graduate of Wilde Lake High School, Jones holds a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.
Maureen Evans Arthurs, Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Partnerships
Maureen Evans Arthurs recently served as the Legislative Director for Delegate Shelly Hettleman since 2015. Prior to the Maryland General Assembly, Evans Arthurs career is rooted in higher education and nonprofits focused on advocating for women’s empowerment, wellness, and access to financial and educational resources. As a Legislative Director, she cultivated critical relationships in Annapolis and conducted extensive policy research advocating for equitable public policy that improved the outcomes for the most vulnerable Marylanders. She has extensive experience in education and economic development issues.
In 2018, Evans Arthurs was elected Chair of the Howard County Democratic Central Committee, the youngest and the first African American female to do so. She also served as the Campaign Manager for County Council campaigns including Team Howard County, a collaborative effort with the Maryland Democratic Coordinated Campaign.
As a committed community advocate, she also serves on the nonprofit executive boards of HopeWorks, Stop Street Harassment and is the President of her community association. Evans Arthurs holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Gender and Women’s studies and Political Science from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a Howard County native, graduate of Oakland Mills High School and lives with her family in Ellicott City.
Shaina Hernandez, Senior Adviser for Policy
Shaina A. Hernandez most recently served as the Director of Local Government Affairs and Strategic Initiatives for the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), the region's premier business advocacy nonprofit organization. In this role, Hernandez led the GBC's local lobbying efforts and served as the project lead on several of the organization's key projects, including an initiative aimed at increasing opportunities for justice-involved individuals, a joint study with Associated Black Charities on middle-skill STEM jobs, and last year's State of the Region report.
Prior to joining the GBC in 2014, Hernandez served in the press office of former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and as the Special Assistant to the governor's Chief of Staff. Hernandez currently sits on the board of the South Baltimore Learning Center, the Creative Alliance, and Outserve-SLDN, and is a mentor with CollegeBound's college completion program.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore.
Scott L. Peterson, Director of Communications
Scott L. Peterson was most recently the Press Secretary and Deputy Communications Director for Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. Peterson served as the county’s media relations manager, spokesperson, and social media guru. Prior to working in Prince George’s County, Peterson served as Director of Media Relations for the City of Baltimore from 2009-2010. Peterson is an experienced crisis communications professional and National Incident Management System (NIMS) trained and certified.
Before his tenure as a public servant, Peterson spent nine years as a spokesperson, marketer, producer, and civic educator for the C-SPAN Television Networks covering three presidential campaign cycles while lecturing about media literacy to more than 200 universities and 600 middle and high schools. Peterson also worked for two years at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.
Peterson holds a BA in education from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Manager through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ and George Washington University’s Institute for Regional Excellence.
Kimberly Pruim, Director of Constituent Services and Community Partnerships
Kimberly Pruim has served as Special Assistant to Calvin Ball for over nine years. She worked with constituents and neighborhood associations to address concerns and collaborated with departments to bring community enhancement projects to life. Pruim also serves on a multi-jurisdictional roundtable aimed at addressing airport noise. As a project manager, Pruim spearheaded initiatives which helped veterans, homeless individuals as well as families and children in need during the holiday season. She also managed events that promoted financial literacy and men's health.
In addition, Pruim assisted Ball with projects and initiatives during his appointment to both the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission and Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities. While living in California, Pruim headed up client relations and cultivated strategic partnerships with local, regional and international associations.
Pruim graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a B.A. in Political Science, a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Legal Policy.