All in a day's work: Eldersburg's Delegate Krebs is always on the run

February 17, 2005
Katie Champion
Staff Writer

1:10 p.m. Hardly noticing the harbor view down West Street, Del. Susan Krebs hurries from a luncheon at the Maryland Inn to a bill hearing of the Economic Matters Committee in the House of Delegates.

It's mid-February and the 2005 legislative session is in full swing. For the past few weeks, members of the Carroll County delegation have been working hard to represent the interests of their constituents while in Annapolis for the 90-day session.

Del. Susan W. Krebs (R-Dist. 9B) not only works hard, she works to the end ­ even when that takes her late into the night. While the hours are long and grueling with back-to-back meetings and bill hearings, sometimes without even 10 minutes to regroup, she makes it through the day fueled by adrenaline, a little chocolate, and the satisfaction of knowing she is making a difference.

Just another day

At 5:50 a.m. each morning, a wake-up call comes into Krebs' Annapolis hotel room. Sitting up in bed, she counts to 10 before rising to start her day.

"I brush my teeth, grab a bottle of water, push the elevator button and go down," she said, adding that she lays out her clothes the night before. "If I take one step out of my pattern I know I'll be late."

When she arrives downstairs, she is greeted by her walking group, a handful of delegates from across the state including Gail H. Bates (R-Dist. 9A) of Howard County. Together, at 6 a.m., the group walks along a three-mile route winding through historic Annapolis and across the busy Naval Academy grounds. "It's a nice time of day," she said. "The Naval Academy soccer team is practicing and I see our future protectors." No matter the weather, the group walks together every morning.

After her walk, it is back to the hotel and down to business. GOP Caucus begins at 8:30 a.m. and is usually followed by a breakfast hosted by any one of hundreds of various organizations in the state.

A representative of the people

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Krebs was greeted by Carroll Leadership on the steps of the State House for a photo. The group, made up of various business professionals from the county, visited Annapolis that day as part of a 10-month program that introduces members to different levels of government and other staples of Maryland life.

Running a little behind schedule, Krebs walked swiftly across the street from her office to be greeted by a united "there she is." As cameras clicked marking the moment, Krebs chatted with the group and joined other senators and delegates in welcoming them to Annapolis.

While her words were sincere, Krebs' schedule beckoned for the second time that morning, leading her and Del. Donald Elliott (R-Dist. 4B) back across the courtyard to the House of Delegates and into a small conference room. There, she met with three members of the Carroll-Howard Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Harvey Tegeler, president of the group and president of Interstate Financial Services in Westminster, R. Wayne Barnes of the Corporation for Long-Term Care Certification and Roger A. Diehl of Prudential Financial in Taneytown posed questions to the delegates about the rights of insurance agencies in the districts.

As bells rang in the House of Delegates serving as a warning to begin moving to the State House for session, Elliott and Krebs did not flinch but continued to give their undivided attention to their constituents.

By 10:15 a.m., Krebs arrived back across the street to the State House for session and then again, just minutes later, was walking back to the House of Delegates to participate in a bill hearing before the Ways and Means Committee.

A meeting with Carroll Community College students and the Carroll delegation was next in the Senate and then it was to lunch with the Carroll Leadership group at the Maryland Inn located on the eastern corner of State House Circle.

Bill hearings followed for her Economic Matters Committee and a talk with Carroll Leadership about the legislative process brought the Delegate to 3 p.m., her first break of the day, a short one, before dinner and more meetings in the evening.

Master of scheduling

In order to keep everything straight, Krebs has the help of an aide and a college intern. "Linda really keeps me focused," she said of her aide Linda Schmuck who manages her schedule.

Each day Schmuck runs through Krebs' itinerary with her explaining, in detail,

Krebs' office, a corner unit with a view of the new House of Delegates addition construction, runs like a well-oiled machine and is full of things from home. A framed Town of Sykesville seal hangs over a bookcase full of books and photos while a drawing of some of the town's most historic buildings is displayed on another wall. Miniature ceramic Republican elephants draped in red, white and blue sit in various places of the office. A large button boasting a picture of President George W. Bush and the First Lady dancing at a ball with the text, "I Love How He Leads" shows the lighter side of Krebs' personality.

Her desk, a mountain of papers and binders, is complimented by various treats and decorations around the corners. Plants, candy baskets, cookies, cards, lollipops, mugs and even a small gumball machine are all gifts from different organizations from across the country. On Tuesday, Feb. 8, a small cooler containing two pickled eggs arrived as a compliment to an invitation to an event. Krebs said it was the most unusual gift that she could recall receiving.

A large binder, filled with color-coded tabs helps keep Krebs' special appearances in order. The five-inch thick file is covered with codes to remind her of when to RSVP to events hosted by anyone from the Maryland Bankers' Association to groups of fishermen and motorcyclists to the Carroll County Student Government Association. Each day of the session has a section with different lunch and dinner invitations ­ a system Krebs said she adopted from a fellow delegate.

Krebs said that her first year as a delegate "was a blur" and that her office organization has made a big difference in how she works. She said that this year she feels like she is more confident.

Upcoming legislation

While Krebs is working hard to pass several pieces of legislation this session, there are three bills that are extremely personal to her.

Tighter requirements for professional childcare workers is one of Krebs' main goals to pass this year. Last session, the bill was dropped because it was introduced too late in the session. However, this year, it has gained a lot of support and momentum.

If passed, all childcare workers in the state would be required to submit background checks to the Child Care Administration.

On Tuesday, Krebs testified in a bill hearing before the Ways and Means Committee about her proposal to eliminate the estate tax for independent business owners, particularly farmers. Several representatives from the farming industry including Woodbine farmer Joe Kuhn, testified in support of the bill.

Krebs is also working with Brian Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Montgomery County on a Substantial Equivalency bill. If passed, the law will allow Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to practice in states other than the one they received their training in. For example, if a CPA earned his or her status in northern Maryland and wishes to practice in Pennsylvania, the new substantially equivalent requirements needed to obtain the license will allow that to happen.

Krebs said that she depends on lobbyists to explain issues that are not her specialty.

"The lobbyists will hook you up with the experts," Krebs said. "I rely on what they say because I know their reputation is at stake. They get a bad wrap but they are a necessary part of this process."

Krebs said that she also often looks to the Freedom Area Citizens' Council (FACC) for feedback on the different issues that she votes on.

"They provide a diversity of opinions and they have the community's interests at heart," she said. "They're the pulse of South Carroll."

A Balancing Act

With all that she does on any given workday, Krebs takes it all in stride with continued help from family and friends.

"I have a very supportive husband," she said adding that her son and daughter fix dinner together and their grandparents come by at least once a week to help out. "My family really chips in so I can do this."

The couple has three children; Heather is a junior at Elon College in North Carolina, Stacey is a senior at Liberty High School, and Brian is a freshman at the school.

Although she's miles away from them while in Annapolis, her family is constantly on her mind. Last week, she reminded herself to keep in touch with their teachers and tried her best to schedule her work around her daughter's Straight-A Breakfast and senior basketball game.

While being away five days each week is hard, she believes that the work she is doing is going to make Carroll County a better place for them to live and grow.

Each night when she returns to her hotel room, sometimes as late as 10 p.m., Del. Krebs spreads file folders out in front of her to read over the next day's legislation. After countless hours of research and educating herself about the topics, she carefully labels the folders across the top. "Favorable," Unfavorable," or "Hold" [for more information] are signal words that will ensure an accurate vote among the next day's hustle and bustle of activity.

The work goes on.