By Ann E. Marimow and Miranda S. Spivack
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 13, 2008

School board President Nancy Navarro (Northeastern County) officially kicked off her County Council campaign this week at the Good Hope Community Center in Silver Spring, and there was much talk of "hope" as she presented herself as the "tried and tested" candidate who "reflects the hopes and dreams of all residents."

Navarro is running in the special election to fill the District 4 vacancy left by the death last month of Marilyn Praisner. In the April 15 Democratic primary, Navarro will face civic activist Steve Kanstoroom, federal government consultant Pat Ryan and Praisner's widower, Don Praisner, who has the support of County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and four council members.

At the announcement Monday, Navarro was joined by a diverse group of labor, education, immigrant and community leaders. Not unlike presidential candidate Barack Obama, Navarro sought to cast herself as the candidate of the future, taking on the political establishment.

She has hired two full-time campaign aides with experience knocking off incumbents. David Moon was campaign manager for Jamie Raskin, who defeated longtime state senator Ida G. Ruben in District 20 in 2006. Mike Hamby was field organizer for Donna Edwards, who defeated incumbent Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) in last month's Democratic primary.

Navarro has quickly wrapped up endorsements from the Montgomery County Education Association, SEIU Local 500 and the Montgomery County Association of Administrative and Supervisory Personnel.

The teachers union endorsement puts the group at odds with two at-large council members it endorsed in 2006. Marc Elrich (D) and Duchy Trachtenberg (D) are among the four council members backing Praisner. Council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), who also received a nod from the teachers in 2006, is backing Navarro, her former colleague from the school board.

Last week's item about the special election's potential impact on the fragility of the growth policy may have created confusion. The growth policy was approved late last year by the County Council in a 7-1 vote. Council member George Leventhal (D-At Large) was absent, recuperating from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Only council member Nancy Floreen (D-At large) voted against final passage. However, along the way there were some key votes that indicated that five members were firmly in favor of the new policy. They were Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg, Rockville), Roger Berliner (D-Potomac, Bethesda), Elrich, Trachtenberg and Praisner.

Praisner died Feb. 1, but growth policy supporters say they are rallying around the candidacy of her husband to help preserve the narrow majority.

Susan Swift, a planner for Leesburg, has been tapped as Rockville's director of community planning and development. She will oversee the Rockville Pike Corridor Neighborhood Plan, the overhaul of the city's zoning ordinance and update of its land-use plan.

Swift has served as director of planning, zoning and development for Leesburg for five years. Before that, she was planning manager for a private firm in Tampa, Fla., and deputy director for Tampa's housing and development department. Swift replaces Arthur D. Chambers, who retired in January after overseeing the development of Town Square.

Sarah Navid of the county's Department of Permitting Services plan review section has been honored by the Maryland Business and Industry Association's Montgomery branch with its annual Quality of Life Award.

"Sarah has perfected the art of finding balance to often conflicting directives and has earned the respect of every industry member that has ever submitted plans, " said Mike Conley, chairman of the development review process subcommittee of the Montgomery County Liaison Committee.

"She has provided the quality of service that our industry seeks, with clear explanation, appreciation of perspectives and good humor."

Navid is a 27-year veteran of county government, having worked 16 years with the Division of Traffic Engineering and 11 years with the Department of Permitting Services. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in geography and a master's in transportation engineering.

The award was made this month at the group's annual breakfast.