ROCKVILLE, Md., June 8, 2010—Montgomery County Councilmember Mike Knapp (D-District 2) today announced he will not seek re-election to the Montgomery County Council. Councilmember Knapp, a resident of Germantown, has held the District 2 seat, which serves the Upcounty region, for two terms.
“Over the past eight years, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of meeting and getting to know residents across the Upcounty region. With our beautiful farms and cutting edge industries, the Upcounty is one of the most diverse and productive communities in the state, and I’m pleased to not only represent this unique region, but also to call it home,” Councilmember Knapp said. “I appreciate your continued faith in me as I complete my term in office. I hope I’ll continue to merit your confidence and your willingness to work together to address our community's issues.”
Knapp, a biotechnology consultant and former business development executive at Celera—renowned for its groundbreaking research in mapping the human genome—will be working with the Washington Region's leading biotechnology firms, academic and research institutions and the financial sector to develop and implement strategies to increase life science activities in our community.
“We have unparalleled life science assets, but as global competition has increased, our efforts have not kept pace,” Councilmember Knapp said. “As the economy begins to recover, now is the time for us to proactively establish a strategy to overhaul K-12 science and technology curriculum, improve technology workforce development, increase academic research efforts and collaboration, and increase investment in emerging technologies and companies.
“We can and should lead the nation in the commercialization of research to transform how we improve human health. I am very excited to help lead the efforts in our community to make this goal a reality.”
First elected in 2002 and reelected in 2006, Councilmember Knapp presently serves as the chair of the Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee and as a member of the Education Committee. While Knapp primarily focused his efforts on government accountability and fiscal responsibility, he is even prouder of helping accommodate the day-to-day needs of the Upcounty.
“Some of my proudest accomplishments are those that tend to get the least attention,” Knapp said. “Whether it’s new stoplights in Montgomery Village or near the Damascus Recreation Center, connecting fragments of sidewalks in Germantown, getting fire stations in Germantown and Clarksburg or ensuring that facilities like the Olney Skate Park or Germantown Library finally got built, these are the things that directly impact the daily lives of residents. I’m pretty proud of that.”
Knapp was chief sponsor of the legislation to reform the fire and rescue service, worked to reduce the county's homeless population, increased access to technology education and led the efforts to pass three groundbreaking master plans for Germantown, White Flint and the Great Seneca Science Corridor. As the representative of the district containing the majority of the County’s 93,000 acres of the Agricultural Reserve, Knapp worked to ensure that farming remains a viable part of the county’s overall economy.
Previously, Councilmember Knapp chaired the Council’s Education Committee, served as a member of the Public Safety Committee and chaired the Homeland Security Committee. Knapp served as the Council president in 2008 and as its vice president in 2007. Since 2002, Knapp has served on the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments, including one term as its chair. He has also served as the County's representative on the Maryland Association of Counties Legislative Committee.
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