Looking Back at the 2014 Campaign of Ken Robinson for Charles County Commissioner
This was the official site for the 2014 site for the re-election of Ken Robinson.
Content is from the site's 2014 archived pages.
Ken Robinson 2014 is a Section 527 tax exempt political organization promoting the re-election of Ken Robinson to Charles County Commissioner for District 1.
Decision To Run
Robinson decided to run for County Commissioner after experiencing bureaucratic red tape and politically based roadblocks when he attempted to get permits to build in Charles County the first residential wind turbine to save energy. His experience left him with the knowledge that something needed to change with the way the local government does business.
As a business man Robinson understands the needs of businesses to continue to search for ways to improve sales, marketing, and customer services vis technology. He quickly embraced the powerful platform of Salesforce with its cutting edge cloud technology. When he spoke to a consultant regarding the integration of Salesforce with an older CMS and the expert replied we are customizing Salesforce to your business's needs, not trying to squeeze your existing programs into Salesforce, Robinson knew he had the right team of business and system analysts, data architects, software developers, and business intelligence experts. He liked the approach from the consultant and his team which was when your business needs exceed the limit of standard Salesforce functionality, we work with you to design and build custom solutions. Robinson wants to bring this same type of approach to dealing with issues in Charles County when he is re elected County Commissioner.
Ken Robinson feels that “the county needs to work toward reclaiming a future for the county; one where economic development is balanced with environmental stewardship and wise use of natural and cultural resources. “ He believes that by helping to reclaim Charles County ‘s future, it should help assure an improved quality of life for all the county residents.
Robinson states that one thing that must change for Charles County is the level of transparency.
The first thing he wants to do upon being elected is change the way the government deals with the public. Our local government should be completely transparent. All agency and department heads must be accessible to the public at all times.
"I'm a strong supporter of Ken Robinson for County Commissioner. He knows first hand the issues that businesses face when they come up against government mandates that are stifling progress. He has taken a very strong stand for changes that will improve the conditions for both corporations and individuals whose goal is to improve the quality of life. I really love the way he handled the attacks against him by some radical groups who are threatened by the changes he's proposing. They sent him a Joker t shirt as an insult. But he started wearing it publicly as a symbol to draw attention to both his candidacy and his positions. At the last county board meeting, I saw a good number of Joker shirts in the audience who now embrace this symbol. Ken is a smart fighter who knows what it takes to get people on his side. Makes me smile." Rosco Tanner
Background
Ken Robinson is the Principal of Potomac View Communications (PVC), LLC. PVC is an award-winning firm that was founded in. It has excelled in the fields of public relations by developing original multimedia content with Internet delivered distance education, as well as by creating original radio and Internet delivered programming and producing video programs for the education field, healthcare field, and the travel marketplace.
In addition, PVC not only designs, but also executes an online-based distance-learning medium for The George Washington University's School of Business along with thePublic Management’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management located in Washington, D.C.
Potomac View Communications has also been honored with several prestigious Mercury Awards. The most recent award was for developing CD-ROM version of The George Washington University Medical Center’s, "Creating a New Tradition in Research" brochure in a convenient business card size package.
Robinson created, produced and hosted the nationally syndicated radio program "The Travel Minute," which aired on more than 200 radio stations throughout the nation between 1995 and 2001. He traveled extensively for this series and possesses expertise in the areas of hospitality and aviation.
Robinson served for 12 years as a producer and correspondent for the United Press International (UPI) Radio Network. While there, he was involved in almost every major news story of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. These include the superpower summits of the 1980's (serving as on-site producer in Iceland and Malta), political campaigns and conventions, space launches (including the Challenger disaster) and day-to-day coverage of the White House and Capitol Hill. In addition, he served as network radio pool producer for the weekly radio addresses of both Presidents Reagan and Clinton.
From 1993-1998 Robinson coordinated media projects for The George Washington University's International Institute of Tourism Studies. Project highlights include the production of an educational video series on tourism and the environment.
He also has guest lectured at several colleges and universities, including GWU, on media applications in tourism.
Robinson has served on the Charles County Board of Zoning and Appeals since August, 2008.
Robinson is married to Dr. Sheryl Elliott and resides in Swan Point, MD where he serves as President of the Swan Point Property Owners Association. In that capacity, he led the opposition to the expansion of the coal-powered Morgantown Generating station which resulted in saving millions of gallons per day of potable water as the plant’s owners were required to build a desalinization plant for their industrial uses.
Robinson has been prominently featured recently in the news media for constructing the first residential wind turbine in Southern Maryland. The March 11, 2009 windmill Raising event brought together, community, government and business to support a project of sustainability.
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Positions
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Education
Get the good news out! As commissioner. I am an advocate, supporter, and public relations promoter of our educational system. My background in public relations and media makes me a good choice for this role. Getting the word out about the great things happening in our schools (math and reading scores are up! the achievement gap is narrowing!) can generate a sense of pride and accomplishment that spurs even greater achievement and generates even more community support.
Provide needed support for the board of education. As a commissioner, I have worked to make sure that the commissioners allocate adequate funding to our schools (especially in these economic times). I have also worked with the board of education to lobby the Maryland Legislature to support an excellent educational system in our county. New school construction and facility repairs can be difficult and emotional issues. As commissioner, I have worked to find needed funds and encouraged development of a facility plan based on an extensive community that provides equity and fairness for the entire county.
Attract and retain top teachers. We have talented teachers and school staff and we need to highlight the great work that they do. As I commissioner, I have sought ways to address issues that make it difficult to retain or attract top teachers. I have worked to ensure funding sufficient to provide salary levels that will attract skilled teachers and to continue to reward them over the years. I have also encouraged the board of education to further reward and motivate teachers by exploring programs such as expanded staff development, new teacher mentoring, and university/CSM/school system partnerships.
Help students achieve. The Charles County School System has been making significant progress academically in reading and in math and in closing the achievement gap between minority/majority students in recent years, and this is good news.An ongoing partnership between the schools, parks department, the police, transportation and the county commissioners could be helpful in providing after school activities for youth that would maximize access and provide support for academic achievement.
On Economic Development
Be smart and strategic - think long-term
- All development – commercial and residential – must be done in the context of land use policies that protect natural resources as much as possible, use resources efficiently, and encourage environmentally friendly practices in land development, construction, and operation. Sustainable economic development means clustering employment centers in high density, mixed-used environments with easy access to public transit; and encouraging, incentivizing, or requiring green building practices including the use of recycled materials and the use of renewable energy.
- Modernize zoning regulations and building codes that reflect the state’s Smart Growth initiative, creating urban, mixed-use, walkable communities with housing for people with different incomes and also land designs that will improve air and water quality.Build only what is really needed, and build it smart.
Retain existing employers and help them grow
- Seventy to eighty percent of job growth in a community comes from the companies that are already here.
- “Home runs” – such as the recent Northrop Grumman relocation to Fairfax – are the ones elected officials like to talk about.But real growth is going to come from the “base hits”— the existing businesses already here.Creating an environment for retaining these businesses is crucial.
- The military installation at Indian Head is Charles County’s largest employer with about 3200 employees in all commands.Indian Head is more than the Naval Surface Warfare Center. While that is the largest tenant command at the installation, we must do a better job reaching out to the other commands.
- Locate the proposed Indian Head Tech Park in Indian Head itself.This would help a depressed area as well as providing closer proximity to the military facility already in place.
Seek out and support high pay-off opportunities
- The proposed natural gas power plant in St. Charles would pay enough commercial taxes that the county’s deficit would be eliminated.This project will produce energy using clean, natural gas.It could use recycled water from the La Plata Sewer treatment plant reducing or eliminating the discharge of effluent into the Port Tobacco River. This is an economic development project that would create 350 to 400 jobs during construction, 30 permanent jobs when operational, and generate millions in long-term tax revenue. When completed it will be one of the largest taxpayers in the county and a new source of revenue for funding county schools.
- Charles County is well positioned as a regional hub, central to numerous military facilities. Contractors who do business with just one of those installations will locate near their clients.But contractors who do business with several bases in different directions might be good prospects for a central location in Charles County. This message needs to be the focus of efforts to attract defense contractors to the county.
- The county currently has a huge economic development opportunity with the developer of St. Charles, American Community Properties Trust.The developer’s recent commitment to creating a green community could change the face of the county in a very positive way.The residential component creates a laboratory for developing green building codes and regulations and for testing new technologies in and development and construction that would lead to a completely energy-efficient, sustainable community and better use of resources.
- Want to development of a sustainable strategic tourism plan that links county marketing efforts to related businesses and business growth opportunities could bring new jobs and new businesses. Included in the plan should be objectives for increasing nature, cultural and event-based tourism.
Endorsed by
