Bowie woman runs for second term on county council
Former Navy lawyer proud of South Bowie library in first term
Former Navy lawyer Ingrid Turner of Bowie points to the start of construction this summer on the long-planned South Bowie library as one of the accomplishments of her first term on the Prince George's County Council.
Turner, 46, has filed to run for a second four-year term. She will run unopposed in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary and will run against Republican challenger Fiona Moodie, 18, also of Bowie in the Nov. 2 general election.
"I have a strong record," said Turner, who said voters having a choice is part of the democratic process.
District 4 includes Bowie, Glenn Dale, Greenbelt, Westchester Park, parts of Lanham-Seabrook and Upper Marlboro.
Some of the major jobs done by the nine county council members include reviewing the county budget submitted by the county executive and voting on zoning requests.
Turner served 20 years in the Navy, where she was a commander in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, the legal branch of the U.S. armed forces.
Based on an ongoing constituent survey first posted on her council webpage in the fall of 2009 by her and her council staff, Turner said the top priorities for District 4 constituents are education, public safety and economic development. In the term ahead, she said she would work for more police officers and firefighters, jobs in the county and money for schools.
She plans to "improve education and find funding to support our educational system and upgrade facilities," she said.
Turner noted projects in her district, including a $54.4 million renovation of Greenbelt Middle School. She also said that work will start this summer to replace the playground at Kenilworth Elementary in Bowie.
"It will encourage kids to get out and exercise more," said Turner, who recently organized a community event about combating child obesity.
Turner said that Bowie High "is bursting at the seams," but that the state says seats are available at DuVal High in Lanham and Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High in Upper Marlboro.
"The county needs state partnerships in order to build," Turner said.
She said one of her priorities as councilwoman was getting construction started on the South Bowie library at Central Avenue and Hall Station Road, a project that needed doing when she was a girl growing up in Pointer Ridge.
Turner said $76,000 out of the county's non-departmental budget will soon go toward a new startup business incubator set to open at Bowie State University this fall.
"Job creation among small businesses is so important," she said.
Regarding the financial problems facing the Prince George's hospital system, Turner said the council is expecting to hear from the Hospital Authority, which was charged with finding a solution to health care delivery in the county and recently issued a series of recommendations.
"Although the Hospital Authority was unable to find a buyer for the Prince George's County Hospital, steps concerning a new flagship hospital were outlined and are currently being reviewed and evaluated by stakeholders," she wrote in an e-mail. "The council is also looking forward to a briefing."
Turner said she has endorsements from the AFL-CIO, the county Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association and the Prince George's County Educators' Association.
"She listens, and she takes the time to visit the schools," said Donald Briscoe, president of the teachers' union.
Briscoe also said that during the recent budget negotiations she was behind the association and had "the children's interests at heart."
-Position sought: County Council member, District 4
-Party affiliation: Democrat
-Place of residence: Bowie
-Age: 46
-Place of birth: Fort Riley, Kansas
-Current occupation: County Council member, District 4
-Education: Bachelor of Science, United States Naval Academy; Master of Business Administration, Golden Gate University; Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law; advanced studies in health care law, George Washington University.
-Community associations, involvement: City of Bowie education committee; South Bowie High School Advisory Committee; Women's Advisory Group for Prince George's County; Ivy Community Charities of Prince George's County, Inc. vice president, board member, assistant treasurer; Iota Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Prince George's County chapter vice president, chair economic development committee, chair connections committee, finance committee, scholarship committee.
-Professional associations: 20 years active service in the U.S. Navy, retired commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps; licensed to practice law in Maryland; adjunct professor of health policy, George Washington University; National Naval Officers Association president, vice president; American Bar Association.
-Family: Single
-Campaign office address and telephone: Citizens to Elect Ingrid Turner, P.O. Box 1631, Bowie, MD 20717
-Candidate's website: None