Peters ’85 Appointed to University of Maryland Board of Regents

In a sunny ceremony in the Van Munching Hall courtyard on Monday, Aug. 2, former Maryland Senator Doug Peters ’85 was sworn in as the newest member of the University of Maryland Board of Regents.

Family and distinguished guests, including Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden, University of Maryland President Darryll Pines, Chancellor Jay A. Perman, Dean Prabhudev Konana of the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Peters family, gathered for the ceremony, which marks the official start of Peters’ five-year term as part of the 21-member board.

He will join the Board of Regents’ finance committee.

“I think it's a great next step for me. I spent 15 years on the budgeting and tax committee and met a lot of presidents across our state’s public schools and higher education institutions, so I feel like I am coming into this role with a great foundation,” Peters said. “Now as part of the Board’s finance committee, I’ll continue that work to help make Maryland higher education the best in the nation. That’s my goal.”

Appointed in July by Gov. Larry Hogan, Peters joins fellow Maryland Smith alums Gary Attman ’76, Louis Pope ’74 and Bill Wood ’63 on the Board of Regents.

“We congratulate Sen. Peters on his new role on the Board of Regents,” Konana said at the event. “We’re extremely proud to call him an alum and to watch him take his oath in the courtyard of the Smith School is quite special. We recognize his significant contributions not only to the University of Maryland and the Smith School, but also to the state and its educational initiatives, and we wish him all the best.”

Peters, who resigned from his senate position in July, was first elected to state office in 2006 and served as majority leader of the state senate from 2016 to 2019. He represented District 23, which includes Bowie and parts of Upper Marlboro. He also served as the leader of the Capital Budget Subcommittee in 2019.

Peters, whose family has deep ties with the University of Maryland, said he’s looking forward to working on behalf of institutions across the university system, the 12th largest in the country.