Resignation

A United Methodist minister who took a leave of absence to undergo a sex-change operation has resigned from the denomination rather than press for her reinstatement to ministry. The Rev. Rebecca A. Steen, previously the Rev. Richard A. Zamostny, submitted her resignation in the opening minutes Friday of a church hearing on whether to reinstate her. Zamostny, who had been a pastor in Thurmont and Rockville, took a voluntary leave of absence in October 1999 to undergo the sex-change operation.

J. Kirby Fowler resigned from the state's gaming commission Thursday, saying that his role as a regulator for Baltimore's downtown casino represented a conflict of interest. Kirby is the president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, an advocacy group. Kirby made the announcement at a regularly scheduled meeting of the recently renamed Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, a spokesman for the MLGCA said. He was the chairman of the group and will be replaced by vice chair Kimberly Roberston Pannell, a D.C.-area accountant.

Johnson's letter of resignationDear Peter:Since I have been unable to contact you by telephone, I am writing to let you know that Susan and I will be out of town for the next two weeks on a vacation planned long ago.Despite our differences, I hope you realize the depth of my commitment to the Baltimore Orioles and the City of Baltimore. While I believe that your position relative to the Alomar fine and Carson Scholars Fund is intended more for public relations than true disapproval, I nonetheless respect the fact that you were not apprised of my desire to direct the Alomar fine to the Carson Scholars.

Manchester Mayor Earl A. J. "Tim" Warehime Jr. has announced the resignation of Councilman Robert C. Kolodziejski.The mayor read the councilman's letter of resignation, dated March 24, at the town meeting Wednesday.In an interview Friday, Mr. Kolodziejski, whose term expires in May 1995, said, "I have several underlying reasons, some of which are personal."A supervisor at Westinghouse Electric Corp. in Linthicum, Mr. Kolodziejski, 41, won his council seat after a 1991 write-in campaign."When I was elected, I promised to do the best I could for the town," he said.

Gennaro J. Vasile's abrupt resignation as chief operating officer of Johns Hopkins Hospital is a sign of major changes to come at the institution, its chief executive said yesterday.Dr. James A. Block said there will be "changes in executive responsibility and organization" as the Hopkins Health System undergoes a reorganization designed to make it more efficient.Dr. Vasile's resignation this week was the result of a "disagree ment" between him and Dr. Block "about how we would proceed and what roles would be played" by Hopkins facilities and leaders, Dr. Block said.

Arne Running, the conductor who has had a dramatic impact on the artistic fortunes of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra,has resigned after two years in the post.In a brief statement after the orchestra's season-ending concert Sunday at St. John's College, Mr. Running, 50, said that his priorities had changed in recent months and that personal matters dictate he spend more time in his home city of Philadelphia.In a letter of resignation sent to the symphony orchestra board, Mr. Running explained that he needed to spend more time with Nancy Acker, a Philadelphia psychologist and violinist.

William J. Kinnard Jr., acting president of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, has resigned effective Monday because he was not offered the job on a permanent basis by the UM Board of Regents.Kinnard tendered his resignation to UM Chancellor Donald Langenberg last Friday after a search committee informed him that his candidacy to head the downtown Baltimore campus of UM professional schools was rejected.He is being replaced by Dental School Dean Errol L. Reese, a source said. Reese has been informed that the regents may take up to two years to fill the presidency because the national search so far has not yielded any candidates that are acceptable, a source said.

Leslie Johnson walked into the Prince George's County Council chambers Tuesday morning, and began her usual routine — joining her colleagues in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Although most of the council didn't know it, she had just handed in a resignation letter. Minutes later, she left through a back door. It was Johnson's first appearance in public since she pleaded guilty last week to destroying evidence in a federal investigation of county government corruption. At the time, Johnson said she would stay on the council until her sentencing in October, prompting vociferous objections from fellow politicians and the public.

The top lawyer for the National Endowment for the Arts has resigned, the Los Angeles Times learned yesterday, possibly setting up a confrontation with senior White House officials, who are expected to try to place a conservative in the position.The resignation of Julianne Ross Davis, NEA general counsel since January 1990, was disclosed in an April 12 memorandum signed by NEA Chairman John E. Frohnmayer. Davis, who practiced law with Frohnmayer in Portland, Ore., before Frohnmayer was named to his job by President Bush, is the NEA chairman's most trusted adviser.