An article in yesterday's Maryland section gave the wrong age for Richard C. Mike Lewin, whom Gov. Parris Glendening has named secretary of business and economic development. Lewin is 56.

The Sun regrets the errors.

Shaking up the bureaucracy in preparation for a second term, Gov. Parris N. Glendening has dismissed three Cabinet secretaries and tapped a Baltimore financial manager to be his chief economic development advocate.

Glendening named Richard C. Mike Lewin, a managing director of BT Alex. Brown Inc., to be secretary of business and economic development, a high-profile post that spearheads the state's efforts to attract and retain jobs.

In another key appointment, the governor promoted a longtime aide, John D. Porcari, to be transportation secretary and oversee road construction, mass transit, the port of Baltimore and Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Porcari, who has been deputy secretary, succeeds David L. Winstead, who was not asked to come back for a second term.

When yesterday's shuffling takes effect, only five of 15 secretaries who began Glendening's first four-year term will remain in the same jobs in the administration.

The governor announced new secretaries for human resources, housing and community development and labor, licensing and regulation. In addition, the secretary of general services was moved to the governor's staff, with no replacement named.

"The new appointments will significantly strengthen this administration as we continue to move our agenda forward in the second term," Glendening said at a State House news conference.

Lewin, 60, has been one of several managing directors at Alex. Brown, the Baltimore investment banking company, since 1987. Before that, he held a variety of posts with investment and banking companies in Washington, Baltimore and New York. He also served as executive assistant to longtime Maryland Comptroller Louis L. Goldstein for four years in the 1960s.

While Lewin has generally not been a visible figure in Baltimore business circles, Glendening praised the wide-ranging connections he developed with corporate executives during a 30-year career in finance.

Succeeds acting chief

Lewin succeeds James D. Fielder Jr., who had served as acting secretary of economic development since James T. Brady resigned in April, noting strong policy differences with Glendening. The governor is not bringing Fielder back for the second term and named a new deputy to work with Lewin.

Lewin emphasized that he does not share Brady's view that Maryland's tax and regulatory structure sharply hurt its business climate.

"I don't have any idea of how he reached that conclusion," Lewin said of Brady, who endorsed Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey for governor against Glendening. "I think he was totally wrong."

In remarks after the governor's announcement, Lewin did not even mention tax cuts -- the issue Brady championed during his sometimes stormy tenure.

Tax cuts not highest priority

The incoming secretary said that while he would support such cuts if they are affordable, they are not his highest priority. He singled out work-force training as "the focus issue in the next four years."

"I would say that most businessmen I talk to say the biggest challenge they have is finding highly qualified workers," Lewin said. "I know him to be a pretty effective salesman, which I would guess you have to be as secretary of economic development," said Robert A. Frank, executive vice president and director of research at Legg Mason Inc. and a former Alex. Brown managing director. "That's a good skill that he will bring to the job."

Lewin's appointment places an ally of Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a leading contender for governor in 2002, in a key position to act as an emissary to Maryland business leaders.

Lewin, who worked briefly as Maryland state treasurer for the 1968 presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy, said he met the slain senator's eldest daughter shortly after she moved to Maryland in 1983.

Townsend's added role

Townsend, who has overseen the Glendening administration's efforts at crime prevention, is expected to take on added supervision of economic development efforts in the governor's second term.

Glendening named David S. Iannucci, a veteran state government official, who has served most recently as a deputy ** chief of staff for the governor, to serve as Lewin's deputy, replacing Fielder.

More appointments

In other moves, Glendening:

Announced that Alvin C. Collins, secretary of the Department of Human Resources, which oversees the state's welfare programs, is leaving state government to take a job with the Clinton administration in Washington. Collins will be succeeded by Lynda G. Fox, the department's deputy secretary.

Removed Patricia J. Payne as secretary of housing and community development and replaced her with Raymond A. Skinner, the deputy secretary.

Appointed John P. O'Connor as secretary of labor, licensing and regulation. O'Connor, who has strong ties to organized labor, had filled the job for the last four months on an interim basis.

Named outgoing Del. Mary Louise Preis, a Harford County Democrat, to be state commissioner of financial regulation, replacing H. Robert Hergenroeder. Preis lost her bid this month for the state Senate against Del. Nancy Jacobs. The governor also tapped outgoing Democratic Del. Ellen Willis Miller as an assistant secretary in the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Miller lost her bid for re-election.

Removed deputy health secretary Barbara Shipnuck, who had overseen key health-care policy initiatives. Joseph M. Millstone, who has served as director of the medical care policy administration, will move up to one of the department's No. 2 jobs.

Moved Gene Lynch from secretary of general services to serve as one of the governor's deputy chiefs of staff. Glendening did not announce a successor to Lynch.

Chief of staff staying

Major F. Riddick Jr., Glendening's longtime chief of staff, will remain in the job in the second term, the governor announced.

Eleanor M. Carey, Glendening's senior counselor, is leaving the State House, to oversee some state job training efforts.

The governor has asked Karen White, his campaign manager, to stay on as a senior adviser.

Pub Date: 11/24/98