An Annapolis-area Democrat and business executive announced Thursday that she is exploring a run for Anne Arundel County Executive.
Joanna Conti, who said she has run businesses in five different industries and a nonprofit, has formed an exploratory committee for a possible run against County Executive John R. Leopold in the 2010 election, Conti said in an interview. Leopold, a Republican, is seeking re-election.
Conti, who moved to Maryland in 2006 from Colorado, is a virtual unknown in local political circles. She has never held public office but ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2004 for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo.
"I am a manager," said Conti, 52, a married mother of four. "I know how to run an organization. I know how to make them more effective and more efficient.
Conti, who grew up in Delaware and graduated from the University of Delaware in 1979, worked in brand management and after earning her master's degree in international business, began consulting work. In 2000, she founded the Alliance for Youth Achievement, a nonprofit that assists youth in eight countries in Africa and Asia. The group has raised over $2 million, Conti said.
Earlier this year, she formed a citizens advocacy group called Make Maryland Great, which has worked on education and environmental issues.
In her announcement, Conti said Leopold is "missing critical opportunities" to better the county, and cited issues such as public safety and relationships with the business community, as placed Leopold has failed.
Leopold spokesman, Dave Abrams, responded, "I don't know much about her except that she moved recently to Maryland. County executive Leopold is proud of his record of keeping taxes low, cutting spending and protecting the environment, and responding to constituent concerns on a daily basis."
