National Association

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has been elected president of the national association that represents his peers around the country, becoming the second Marylander to hold that post. Gansler, 49, was chosen Thursday by at the National Association of Attorneys General summer meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The nonpartisan group brings together the chief legal officers of the states, territories and District of Columbia to deal with issues they face. Presidents of the group typically choose a particular issue to focus on during their yearlong terms.

The Columbia Bank announced the hiring of Michael J. Nieberding as vice president of commercial banking. In his new position, Nieberding, of Ellicott City, will be responsible for business development in the Howard County market. A graduate of Loyola University Maryland with a master's degree in business administration, Nieberding is a member of The Walters Art Museum, Maryland/Israel Development Center, Loyola College Alumni Association, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, BRAC Business Initiatives and Howard County Tech Council.

Claude J. Mascari, a retired mortgage broker and longtime Lutherville resident, died Sunday of a massive hemorrhage and stroke at St. Joseph Medical Center. He was 66. Mr. Mascari was born in Baltimore and raised in Canton and Highlandtown. In his youth, he worked for his father, who owned and operated a wholesale fruit and vegetable business in what is today the Inner Harbor area. He was a 1959 graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington and earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Baltimore in 1965.

BALTIMOREFor more Baltimore convention information, call the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association at (410) 659-7300 within Maryland or (800) 343-3468 outside Maryland.* Jan. 4-6 Mid-Atlantic Nurserymen's winter trade show, Convention Center. Contact: Carville M. Akehurst, Box 314, Perry Hall, Md. 21128. Expected attendance: 6,500* Jan. 13-15 AMWAY Corp., Taylor dream weekend, Hyatt Regency. Contact: Diane Malloy, 2953 Broadford Terrace, Richmond, Va. 23233. Expected attendance: 2,500* Feb. 17-19 Black Engineers Awards Conference, Convention Center.

During the past 14 years, the real estate industry has given millions of dollars to lawmakers and continued to be one of the nation's most powerful lobbies. The National Association of Realtors, the voice of the industry, gave more money to campaigns than all other national donors except AFSCME during the past two election cycles, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks federal election contributions. Analyzing federal election data from the past 14 years, the center ranked the Realtors organization - the country's largest trade group - as the second biggest contributor behind the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.

County Council member C. Vernon Gray became president-elect of the National Association of Counties at a conference in Portland, Ore., yesterday, continuing his expected rise through the organization's top ranks.Gray was assured of the job a year ago, when he won a bid to become vice president of the lobbying group. He is expected to testify on Capitol Hill and help lobby Congress and the Clinton administration on issues for the association, which represents county officials from across the nation.

Certifications David R. Bogus of the accounting and consulting firm Ellin & Tucker has been certified as an accredited senior appraiser by the American Society of Appraisers. Contracts Vericom Technologies Inc., a Columbia-based firm, has been selected by Guardian Cos. of Delaware to provide mobile resource management solutions. New clients Warschawski has been named as the national agency of record for W.L. Gore & Associates, makers of Gore-Tex and Windstopper products. New name I4 Commerce, a Timonium-based alternative payment service, changed its name to Bill Me Later Inc. The service lets shoppers make purchases without using a credit card and be billed at a later date.

Archbishop Spalding's girls basketball season will last another three weeks because the No. 1 Cavaliers are headed to the National High School Invitational on April 4-6 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda. The Cavaliers (29-2), who won the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship last month, join three other teams in the field: Dr. Phillips, from Orlando; Life Center Academy from Burlington, N.J.; and Dillard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We're very excited,” Spalding coach Bookie Rosemond said.

WICHITA, Kan. -- The National Association of Realtors expects a new move in Congress to wipe out the income-tax deduction for home-mortgage interest, the association's president says.Dorcas Helfant, the association's first female president, said last week that the nation's largest trade association is prepared to fight any attempt to eliminate or limit the federal deduction that for years has provided an impetus for home sales."We believe it's going to be under attack in the next Congress," she said at the convention of the Kansas Association of Realtors.