Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appointed four new members to the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents on Thursday.
They are Robert K. Hur, a former U.S. attorney now in private practice; state Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters, a Democrat from Prince George’s County; Andrew Smarick, who works at a conservative think tank and previously served on the state’s board of education, and Hugh J. Breslin III, retired general manager of WDVM-TV in Western Maryland.
“Each of these individuals is well-qualified, widely respected, and will make an outstanding member of the regents,” Hogan, a Republican, said in a statement.
The 21-member board oversees the system, which has 15 institutions, including traditional universities, the University of Maryland Global Campus, the research-focused University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and three regional higher education centers. The board members do not receive a salary.
Peters plans to resign his position in the Maryland Senate, effective July 30. He’d already decided not to run for reelection next year and when presented with the opportunity to join the Board of Regents, he accelerated the timeline of his departure.
“It was just time,” Peters said in an interview. “I think there’s other people who are ready to come in to the Senate. I think the talent pool is there.”
Peters was elected to the Senate four times and previously served on the Prince George’s County Council and the Bowie City Council for a total of 23 years in public office. He chaired the Senate subcommittee that handles the state’s capital budget for construction projects and also previously was the majority leader for the Democrats.
Peters said he’s grateful that the Republican governor opted to put a Democrat on the board.
The new members of the Board of Regents will be subject to a confirmation vote in the state Senate when the General Assembly holds its next session, currently scheduled for January. The terms are for five years.