Society of Senates Past
Roster

FRANK J. KOMENDA
Democrat, District 26.

Born in Washington, D.C., November 25, 1934.  Attended Washington, D.C. parochial schools; Prince George's County public schools; George Washington University, B.A., 1959.

General Assembly:
Member of the House of Delegates, 1975-82.  Member of Senate, 1982-90.  Member, Budget and Taxation Committee, (Chair, Subcommittee on Public Safety, Transportation, Economic Development and Natural Resources).  Chair, Select Committee No. 7, Prince George's County.  Member, Joint Committee on Budget and Audit.

Private Career and Other Public Service:
Served in the U.S. Army, 1954-57.  Associate Vice Chancellor For State Relations, University System of Maryland.  Member, Southern Legislative Conference; National Conference of State Legislators.  Member, Oxon Hill Democratic Club; Young Men's Democratic Club; Member, Prince George's County Board of Trade; South Gate Lions Club; Sons of Italy; Crescent Cities Jaycees; American Legion; Prince George's Chamber of Commerce; BPO, Elks, Camp Springs. Member, Prince George's Parks and Recreation Foundation; Prince George's Mental Health Association.

Personal comments and Observations:
    "[The three most controversial issues with which I dealt were:]  The savings and loan crisis; [the] restructure of teachers' pension and retirement system; [and] the 1990 abortion debate and filibuster.
    "[The most memorable moment in the Maryland Senate was when] I took the floor on Personal Privilege to take strong exception to the former warden of the Patuxent Institution who had refused to appear before our committee but then granted a newspaper interview attacking the efforts of the committee...
    "[My most significant contribution to the Maryland Senate was when] I was the Senate Chair of a joint committee created by the leadership to restructure the Patuxent Institution.  The joint committee was formed after crimes were committed by inmates on work-release from the institution.  The joint committee had a very short time to conclude its work and had to meet through the Christmas holidays to complete its work for the General Assembly when it convened in January.  The joint committee bill was introduced on the first day of the session as an emergency bill and was on the Governor's desk for signature before the end of January."

Compiled March 16, 2000 from the biographical files of the Maryland Manual, ©Maryland State Archives and from materials submitted by Senator Komenda dated August 9, 1999.