ATLANTA - Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has appointed
Maryland Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Calvin W. Burnett to the Southern
Regional Education Board, America's first interstate compact for education.
Dr. Burnett was named secretary of higher education by Governor Ehrlich in
May 2004. He had served as acting secretary since January 1, 2004. Secretary
Burnett is the chief executive officer of the Maryland Higher Education
Commission, responsible for coordinating growth, management and funding for
postsecondary education in Maryland. He oversees an agency budget of over $100
million and manages a staff of 75. As secretary, Dr. Burnett is a member of
Governor Ehrlich's Cabinet and is the governor's principal adviser on
postsecondary education issues.
Dr. Burnett served for 32 years as President of Coppin State College in
Baltimore. Before joining Coppin, Dr. Burnett served as a faculty member and
administrator at Catholic University of America and Southern Illinois
University. He also served as a research social psychologist at St. Louis
Hospital and as director of research at the Health and Welfare Council of St.
Louis.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Dr. Burnett is a graduate of Saint Louis
University, where he majored in biology and political science. He subsequently
earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the university.
The Southern Regional Education Board, headquartered in Atlanta, was created
in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and
government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and
economic life of the region. SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West
Virginia. Each state is represented by its governor and four gubernatorial
appointees.
