Guest Commentary: Standing Out From the Group in the 41st District

I was raised to appreciate public service and value hard work. I have demonstrated compassion and concern for those in need, which has grown into a commitment of working for the common good.

I’m a native of West Baltimore and a proud graduate of Baltimore City Public Schools. On the collegiate level, I have earned an associate degree in mass communications and media studies at Baltimore City Community College and a bachelor’s degree in sports management with minors in journalism and business management at Coppin State University. Obtaining a great education from my hometown resonates why I love the city of Baltimore and especially the people I am ready to serve.

I stand by the Stinnett name proudly when I tell people I am Sean Stinnett and a resident of the West Arlington Community. I am married to my friend and partner Tamara. We have two daughters, Sydney and Meagan, and a son, Mark.

Helping people gain access to opportunities is at the core of both my personal and professional life. I work in the Office of Business Programs for the Maryland Department of General Services as the procurement review group administrator. As the PRG administrator, I am directly responsible for placing the subcontracting goals for small, minority- and veteran-owned businesses on state contracts to ensure that these small businesses get a significant share of almost a billion dollars a year in contracts that DGS awards.

This is more than a job for me. This is a passion because I know that when these small, women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses win a state contract, it leads to the creation of jobs in local communities, including here in Baltimore.

 Sean Stinnett

Not only that, I make sure the services and programs we manage at DGS benefit the communities in the 41st District and Baltimore city as a whole. For example, one program managed by the agency is the Federal Surplus Program. This program enables non-federal organizations to obtain property the federal government no longer needs. Therefore, a list was made to organizations I knew could benefit from this great program.

Thus far, we have delivered computers to Yorkwood Elementary School and Langston Hughes Community Center, along with pallets of copy paper to North Bend Elementary School and Edmondson-Westside High School and prepackaged foods to the Muslim Social Service Agency. Not to forget, for the past five years, I have managed our Youthworks program allowing 35 to 40 students per summer the opportunity to learn in various areas of construction management, fiscal services, business programs, procurement and logistics, law enforcement, facility maintenance and so much more.

My love for Baltimore has kept me active in the city, particularly in the 41st District. I have over 25 years serving in several community service capacities throughout the city.

I began my service as a student mentor for the Academics Champions of Excellence Program at Morgan State University. Currently, I am the president of the West Arlington Improvement Association; president of the Liberty-Wabash Presidents Alliance, which overseas nine community associations; senior member of the COR/300 Men March Movement; co-founder of the Edmondson Village Farmers Market; and co-manager of the Howard Park Community Farmers Market. I served nine years as a School Family Council member at the Mount Washington School; Hopkins District (East Baltimore) chairman of the Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America; Baltimore School for the Arts Alumni Council member; executive board member of the Gwynn Oak Islamic Community; former president of the Maryland Muslim Council; former chairman of Maryland Academy of Technology & Health Sciences; and vice chairman of Xpressive4ever Dance in East Baltimore.

As president of West Arlington, this month I testified in front of Senate and House committees on obtaining a $500,000 grant for restoring the existing West Arlington water tower along with the design and construction of a planetarium, education/youth center and gymnasium. This project was envisioned and started by former West Arlington president Dr. Charles Griffin.

In addition, as the Hopkins District chairman, I partnered with Kweisi Ehoize of the Baltimore Terps and CHAI in training our young Scouts on how to mow lawns and perform snow removal when we battled the blizzard in 2016. This program was operated in the neighborhoods of Fallstaff, Mount Washington, Cheswolde, Cross Country and Edmondson Village.

Unlike other candidates who lost in past elections, I kept my promise by staying committed and determined to serve and strengthen my community after an unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Democratic State Central Committee in 2014. However, my work in the community did not go unrecognized by Gov. Larry Hogan, who honored me with the Governor’s Service Award in 2016. I was the first-ever Maryland state employee to have received the award. Other community awards I hold dearly are Neighborhood United’s Unsung Hero award, Baltimore Ravens’ Community Quarterback award and the Top Neighborhood Dad given by former Baltimore city Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Through my travels in the 41st District, I came across a group of individuals who have shown the tenacity of hard work and determination that will strengthen our Democratic State Central Committee. These individuals I call Team 41, and they are Perrice Austin, Josh Crockett, Christopher Ervin, Ricarra Jones, Ellie Mitchell, Tamara Stinnett and Ryan Turner.

I believe that we show how much we care by how much we do, and my leadership in the community is a testament to how much I care about making our schools better, our streets safer and our businesses local. That’s exactly the same vision and energy I’d bring to Annapolis when elected to be the next delegate of the 41st District.

Sean Stinnett

Sean Stinnett is a Democratic candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in the 41st District, Baltimore city. He can be reached at [email protected].

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