Biography of Glenn Blanchard, 2013 candidate for
Commissioner
I
was born on June 10, 1966 in Olney Maryland at
Montgomery Hospital. I was raised in Howard County
until I was 13 years old. In the spring of 1980, my
father accepted a job with a defense company in Southern
California. I moved with my family and attended Corona
High school in Corona Ca. Upon graduation from high
school, I enrolled at Chaffey Community College in Alta
Loma CA. I attended for two years and received an A.A.
degree in general education. I joined the United States
Navy Reserve in 1986 and went through basic training and
Hospital Corpsman School in San Diego. In 1987, I
transferred to the University of Maryland in College
Park. While I was at the University of Maryland, I
worked as an intern for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski.
It was here that I really gained an understanding of
working with citizens and how rewarding that job could
be.
Upon graduation, I attained a job with the
Prudential Insurance Company. I worked as a liaison
between the insurance company and Montgomery County
Schools and Government. Around this time I married
Margaret Vinck and moved to Emmitsburg MD In 1993, I
decided to go back to college and get a degree in
education. In 1997, I graduated from the University of
Maryland with a B.A. degree in secondary education with
an emphasis on social studies education. Upon
graduation, I attained employment with Baltimore City
Schools at Lake Clifton-Eastern High School. I worked
for Baltimore City Schools, until 2000 when I
transferred to the Frederick County Public School
system. I worked at Catoctin High School for four years
until transferring to Tuscarora High School in Frederick
Md.
During my time as a teacher I have been fortunate to
have participated in a number of rewarding activities.
In the summer of 1999, I traveled with ten students to
Emory University outside of Atlanta GA. It was here
that I was trained in the art of debate and forensics.
Upon return to Baltimore, I was part of a program known
as the Baltimore Urban Debate League. Schools competed
with each other on a monthly basis with the site of each
debate rotating to different schools. In the fall of
1999, I was fortunate to be selected to help chaperone a
group of students from my school on the outward-bound
experience. We canoed down the Potomac River, camping
out along the way. The experience challenged me both
physically along with mentally.
Upon my transfer to
Frederick County, I was able to also participate in a
number of rewarding activities. Among these was the
Maryland Model Youth Legislature. In this program
Students are sent to Annapolis each year to learn how
bills are turned into laws. This program was
administered through the YMCA with individual schools
providing the participants. Catoctin High had
participated for many years before I began my tenure
with the program. My job was to help provide
scholarship money for the students since the program
cost each student $200.00. This was done by contacting
local non-profits and asking for donations. I became
quite adept at this and one year raised over two
thousand dollars in scholarship funds.
Other activities at
Catoctin included my involment in the leadership team
for the school, along with being the Education
multicultural contact. I also helped students each year
apply for and succeed at the Maryland Page Program.
This program consisted of having students work for the
General Assembly or State Senate for two weeks in the
spring. To become selected, the students had to compete
with other students from the county. I worked with the
students in their development of their speech and their
presentation skills. When 9-11 happened, everybody at
Catoctin High School wanted to do something to help.
After going to a Red Cross meeting that week, I helped
organize a fund drive at the school. Over a period of a
month, we were able to raise almost a thousand dollars.
The importance of being involved in community action is
of the highest importance to me. Other activities at
the high school level that I was proud of consisted of
my involvement in the US club and SGA. The US club
(undivided society) was a club that focused on the idea
of breaking down barriers between different groups and
individuals. During my four years at Catoctin, the US
club traveled to New York City each spring. New York
City is the largest outdoor classroom in the world.
Students from Emmitsburg and Thurmont were able to
interact with people from very different backgrounds.
China Town and the lower east side opened up the minds
of the students who went on the trip. In the spring of
2004, the SGA representative at Catoctin transferred to
a new school. Understanding the importance of the
Student Government Association drove me to make the
decision to take the role of advisor for the SGA. I
worked with the other students to help organize the
spring election and helped plan the schedule of
activities for the upcoming year.
Since transferring to
Tuscarora High School at the end of 2004, I have gotten
more involved with the Frederick County Teachers
Association. I have been the FCTA building
representative since coming to Tuscarora. In the recent
elections, I was selected to represent the school at the
MSTA conference in Ocean City in October of 2005. In
the elections of 2004, I worked for Frederick County as
a chief election judge. I have a firm respect for
Democracy and believe in security of this institution.
During my time at Catoctin, I became a father. My
daughter Grace was born on May 5th 2002.
Becoming a father has changed my life. I feel that I
have become more focused and more driven. The birth of
my daughter has inspired me to become more involved in
my community. In the last couple of years, I have
joined the Sons of the American Legion, and the Knights
of Columbus. I have been a parishioner of St.Josephs
parish for 22 years. Becoming a father has made me
think more about what I want to accomplish and how I
want to be remembered. In 2005, I ran for office as a
Town Commissioner of Emmitsburg and won. I ran for
reelection in 2007, and 2010. Altogether, I served the
Town of Emmitsburg for seven and half years. In
February of 2013, I stepped down as a commissioner due
to health concerns that needed to be addressed very
quickly. Working with my doctor and a dietician, I now
have my blood pressure under control and am working on
reducing my weight. I enjoyed serving as a commissioner
and hope to bring my experience back to the board.
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