North Beach to Build 'Green' Town Hall

Three of the five seats on the board are up for election this year. Voters will narrow the field of candidates for two of the three seats in the Feb. 12 Maryland primary election. There are just two candidates for the third seat, so both will advance to November's general election.

The candidate responses are posted at http://daccamd.blogspot.com.

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a primary election candidates' forum on Feb. 5, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at the Calvert Pines Senior Center, 1450 Dares Beach Rd. in Prince Frederick.

New Park Service Chief

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin announced the selection of Nita Settina to serve as superintendent of the Maryland Park Service.

Settina began her tenure with DNR in 1995 as the agency's intergovernmental affairs director. In 1999, she moved to the Park Service to lead development of the Nature Tourism Program. Since 2004 she has served as executive director of the Maryland Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program that employs youth in conservation and environmental education service throughout Maryland state parks.

The Maryland Park Service manages natural and cultural resources on 134,000 acres of public lands and provides outdoor recreation opportunities for more than 11 million visitors annually, DNR said in a statement.

Settina succeeds outgoing superintendent Paul "Rusty" Ruszin, who retired from state service on Oct. 31.

Nominees for Top CEO

The College of Southern Maryland's Corporate Center is seeking nominations for the 2008 chief executive of the year.

In its eighth year of recognizing outstanding leadership within Southern Maryland, the Corporate Center extends this honor during the annual Leading Edge Awards ceremony in June.

Nominations may be submitted through Feb. 15. Nomination criteria and online nomination forms are available at http://www.corporatecenter.csmd.edu; click on "Leading Edge Awards." To qualify, nominees must be with a business in Charles, Calvert or St. Mary's counties, be in a position of leadership in a Southern Maryland private-sector business and be available to attend the ceremony June 18 in Waldorf.

For information, call 301-934-7585 or 301-870-2309, Ext. 7585 for Charles County; 240-725-5499, Ext. 7585 for St. Mary's County; or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7585 for Calvert County, or visit the Corporate Center's Web site.

Mardi Gras Ball

On Feb. 16, the Civista Health Foundation will have its 17th annual Mardi Gras Ball. The theme, "Treasures of the County," will feature various eras to commemorate Charles County's 350th anniversary this year.