User:Seegaldog

Paul J. Gilligan,

Cmdr, U.S. Public Health Service

President, CEO Chesapeake Kidney Center, Inc.

Former Mayor of Burkittsville

Chair, Mid-Maryland Land Trust Association (Rural Legacy Initiative for Frederick Co.)

Originally from the Boston area of Massachusetts, moved to Maryland in 1960 with his three brothers and sister. He graduated from Loyola College in 1970 with a BS in Psychology and began graduate work at Loyola in psychometrics. He also accepted a Commission in the U.S. Public Health Service and began training in Hospital Record Management (RRA), completed in 1972. He spent three years in Boston to completed his Federal Service obligation. While at the Boston USPHS hospital he was the Director of Patient Services and Medical records. He then returned to Baltimore to obtain a Masters in Health at Johns Hopkins University which was completed in 1977. He worked with the USPHS for the 25 years in the DC area, retiring as an O5, Commander. In 1980 he founded and developed the Chesapeake Kidney Center, Inc. which operated four dialysis clinics in the Harford and Cecil Counties north of Baltimore, Maryland. He served as its' CEO for 23 years, retiring 2003.

He and his wife Laurel bought a small farm in the Town of Burkittsville, MD in 1984. In 1995, he was elected as the Mayor of the town of Burkittsville, MD and served the three year term ending in 1998. While Mayor he developed Rural Legacy Program for Frederick County which preserves concentrated blocks of rural open space and farmland.

Mr. Gilligan approached preservation from the prospective of long term planning. While Mayor he worked with other municipal leaders to develop a comprehensive growth plan that directed expected growth to larger municipalities that could support growth with schools, police, fire service, and water and sewer, while restricting development zoning in rural and farming areas. These efforts were used as a template encouraged the State of Maryland to direct targeted programs for urban development to cities while preservation programs could be directed to support land preservation and farming initiatives. This effort helped the State to draw a clearer line for future planning and the State initiated "Smart Growth Program" for the State of Maryland