Thanks to our speakers, panelists, partner organizations and the attendees for making the 2008 Maryland Biz/Bio Event a success!
Senator Robert J. Garagiola represents northern and western Montgomery County in the Maryland State Senate. He is currently in his second term, having served District 15 since 2003.
Senator Garagiola is considered part of the leadership team as the Deputy Majority Leader. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Senator Garagiola currently sits on the Senate Finance Committee and is Chair of the Health Subcommittee. He is also the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing and sits on several joint committees, among them the Joint Technology Oversight Committee. He was the co-founder and Senate Co-Chair of the Maryland Veterans Caucus, himself having served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
As a member of the Finance Committee, in 2007 Senator Garagiola helped shepherd the bill establishing the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board. The Governor recently appointed the members of this new board and they have begun meeting to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for Maryland’s life sciences industry. In addition, he has cosponsored the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act, which was enacted in 2006, and the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Act, which was enacted in 2005. He has also helped to obtain funding for the Germantown Life Sciences Incubator.
This year, he joined the newly created Biotech Caucus and is supporting legislation to create a Joint Committee to focus on biotech issues.
In addition to the above, he has authored numerous bills that have become law concerning healthcare, renewable energy, and public safety.
Outside of the General Assembly, Senator Garagiola is a business attorney with a Rockville law firm, Stein Sperling. He resides in Germantown with his wife and three children.
