BALTIMORE, MD (June 29, 2007) – Secretary Shari T. Wilson named Susan Battle-McDonald as director of BayStat for the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) today. Ms. Battle-McDonald has substantial strategic planning and statistical analysis experience.

“Ms. Battle-McDonald has 12 years of professional experience at MDE in overseeing the strategic planning for the department, managing the Environmental Permits Service Center and analyzing environmental policy,” said Secretary Wilson. “She is well-positioned to direct the BayStat and MDEStat initiatives to increase accountability, results, and efficient government.”

On February 14, 2007, Governor Martin O’Malley created BayStat by executive order. Based on the CitiStat program created by the Governor in Baltimore six years ago, BayStat is a results-based management program that will allow government and citizens to track progress toward restoring the Chesapeake Bay. The chief function of BayStat will be to regularly evaluate state initiatives directed at improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and ensure these programs are coordinated and operating at the highest efficiency.

Effective August 6, Ms. Battle-McDonald will lead the Department’s BayStat initiative and coordinate StateStat functions within the Department. She will manage data specification and collections, conduct audits and investigations to ensure accurate data, trend analysis, and develop questions to explain and highlight problem areas for information and review.

Prior to accepting this position, Ms. Battle-McDonald served as MDE’s Strategic Planning Coordinator, overseeing the agency’s strategic planning and cooperative state-federal strategic environmental planning. Previously, she has served as the Director of MDE’s Environmental Permits Service Center, where she led the department’s efforts to improve service to permitting customers and managed departmental relations with businesses and private sector organizations. Ms. Battle-McDonald also served as the Deputy Director of MDE’s Office of Strategic Planning. Prior to MDE, she was an Environmental Policy Analyst with the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Ms. Battle-McDonald holds a Masters degree in Public Policy from the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy from Duke University.

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