Education: 

AA, BA, MA

Work Experience:

’65 - ’66, H&H Cycle, Motorcycle Repair; ‘66 - ’69, U.S.Army, radar technician; ’70 - ’72, Bailey Meter, Calibrationist; ’74 - ’76, Teaching Assistant, University of California; 1976 - 2006, Biology Professor, Harford Community College.  Since 1985, my wife and I have owned and operated Kollar Nursery, in northern Harford County.

Previous Political Offices Held:

None, but I have interacted often with local, state and federal agencies, and I am familiar with the intricacies of government.

Brief Biography:

I have been an educator for 33 years, a small business owner for 21 years, and conducted research on the restoration of our Chesapeake Bay for over 20 years.  My wife and I have raised 3 wonderful children in our community outside of Norrisville and all of them have attended or are attending Harford County Public Schools.  I have contributed to the well being of our county for the total time that I have lived here, serving on the Metropolitan Advisory Board for Coastal Zone Management, “A Better Harford… Together”, The Envirothon Steering Committee, and The Governor’s Upper Western Shore Tributary Team, just to name a few.

1.  Why are you running for this office?

As we all live and/or work here, we need to work together to make this the best county and state in the nation. I am concerned about how we grow, the quality of our water and air, our health and the education of our students. I want to contribute more to my community than I have by offering to represent the people of my district, and to help to lead us forward, together, into the future.

2.   If you are elected, what do you intend to do to improve the quality of education in Harford County?

The first legislation that I would sponsor would be to change the State Funding formula for building construction and renovation, that would allow for us to project the number of classrooms that would need to be built, rather than using existing numbers.  One of the most critical factors associated with optimal learning is manageable class sizes, so we need to address that.  Our teachers and staff need to be appropriately compensated for the work that they do to stop the exodus of trained professionals from leaving our county because they can’t afford to live here.

3.  Harford County will have an influx of over 30,000 new jobs in the next six to eight years as a result of BRAC.  What do you intend to do to help Harford County prepare for this dramatic increase in population and need for services?

The key point about BRAC is controlling it’s impact upon us rather than the reverse.  It’s all about developing areas closer to where people will be working and doing it in such a way that will create communities in which people can live work, shop, and go to school with minimum use of the automobile.  Some call these healthful communities.  They employ designs which allow a range of house sizes on smaller lots in mixed use communities.  There is a melding of building with useable green space, bicycle paths, etc.  More homes can be built in a smaller area with a wider range of prices, close to existing roads and infrastructure. We can still maintain the rural character of much of our county while we continue to change and grow and I believe that as long as we control and guide those changes that we can improve our lives rather than the opposite.  As we build more roads or improve existing roads, we must also address mass transit at the regional level.  Our primary highways are already clogged during peak periods and there are currently no plans to bring light rail out past White Marsh.  Over the long term, this will prove to be a serious mistake.  We need to take the pressure off of I 95, with safe, efficient and affordable light rail.