I am grateful to the voters of District 19 in Montgomery County, Maryland for giving me the opportunity to represent them in Annapolis since 2011. I continue to work to ensure that Maryland has truly dependable progressive leadership as our residents build the future for our community together.

In the Maryland House of Delegates I serve as a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee. This has given me the opportunity to work on improving access to quality health care and choice for all Marylanders. My committee has been responsible for such high profile legislation such as the recognition of the right of same-sex couples to marry, the Governor’s comprehensive gun control legislation and a complete revision of the Public Information Act, of which I was the proud lead sponsor.

While serving in the House, I have received awards from Med Chi, the Medical Association, the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Maryland Retailers Association and the Maryland Association of School-based Health Centers. I was elected to the Board of Directors for Montgomery Hospice in 2015. In 2013, I was recognized by the House Leadership and selected to serve as a Deputy Majority Whip.

I have been deeply humbled and honored to represent my communities in District 19. I am committed to serve them and continue to champion our first-in-the-nation education status, access to affordable care for all residents, the rights of the underprivileged and disabled, and ensuring that Maryland has the economic infrastructure in place to be a truly vibrant competitive state in the decades ahead.

Bonnie’s Work in the House

I have sponsored and co-sponsored many bills which have become law. My litmus test for deciding on a bill is whether this will make a positive difference in the lives of residents in my district, my county and my state. Examples of my sponsorship of policy that is now law include:

• Posting of public signs to increase awareness of human trafficking
• Requiring medical professionals to include credentials in advertisements
• Providing a scholarship for families of educators who are injured or killed while on the job
• Providing notice to Medicare patients of their inpatient/outpatient status for insurance coverage purposes
• Setting up a council to enhance the utilization and accessibility of School-based health centers
• Allowing nurse practitioners to practice consultation with other medical professionals without bureaucratic documentation
• Clarifying the standards for the distribution of public information so that they provide the public with easy access to information at limited or no cost.

Bonnie’s Background

I am the oldest daughter of Charles and Eleanor Cullison from St. Mary’s County, Maryland. My father was a career military man, which gave me the opportunity to experience the richness of American cultures as my family moved many times across the country. I received a Master’s degree in speech pathology from the University of Maryland in 1978 and began my career in public education in St. Mary’s County. In 1981, I moved to Montgomery County and began working in the public schools as a special education teacher. Teaching was professionally rewarding and fulfilling for me, but I also came to see that in order to make positive change, one must be willing to step into leadership roles.

Between 1983 and 2009 I served in various elected positions in the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), representing 11,000 teachers. During my tenure as president of MCEA, I helped to establish strong collaborative relationships with school system leaders by jointly developing programs to narrow the minority achievement gap, improve student learning, and maintain the highest standards for teacher quality.

While leading MCEA, I also participated as a member of a countywide coalition of business, labor and non-profit organizations – the Committee for Montgomery – where I served as Chair from 2006 to 2007. While on the Committee for Montgomery, I advocated strongly on a wide range of issues addressed by the state legislature. I testified on a host of proposed bills, including labor laws, state and local budgets, tax policies, energy conservation and education.

I am currently retired from the Montgomery County Public Schools and now work for the National Education Association Foundation, on a grant-funded project, where my colleagues and I work with both union and school district leaders to develop collaborative practices for the benefit of students.

My experience in public service and knowledge of the issues have given me the passion to get the job done and the experience to get it done right. Thank you for your support in this work to achieve real results on our shared priorities.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Cullison

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