After graduating from Walter Johnson High School, I attended Montgomery Junior College and graduated with an Associate of Arts in Business.  I married Robert E. Priest, Jr. in October 1969 and my beautiful daughter, Kimberly, was born the following September.  After eight very difficult years of marriage, I decided that I would be better off on my own.


 


I went to work at the National Institutes of Health where I worked as a secretary in research and grants, several laboratories, a clinical branch where we took care of children with cancer or AIDS and a division director's office. Besides the usual clerical/administrative work, I have setup a laboratory, moved a laboratory to the Veteran's Administration in Cincinnati, OH, dealt with the press and have been part of a team dealing with the Secret Service for two George H.W. Bush visits, a Bill Clinton visit and a Hillary Clinton visit. I also escorted the Blue Angels, several Baltimore  Orioles players, several Senators and Congressmen and Marlo Thomas through the Pediatric Oncology and AIDS Branch. I also have met Barbara Bush, Alan Alda, Elizabeth Glaser and Elizabeth Taylor while working in this Branch.


 


Currently, I am a Technology Development Administrative Specialist for the Technology Transfer Branch, National Cancer Institute.  I have been in this position since January, 1999.  I do paralegal work for a Unit and do independent work for two lawyers in the Branch.  I negotiate legal agreements such as Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) and Confidential Disclosure Agreements.  I also prepare docket reports and the monthly patent cases for my Unit for review by the NCI Technical Review Group.  By preparing the patent cases, I have gained extensive knowledge of the patenting process.  I also negotiate and process all of the MTAs for the Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium (MMHCC).  This is an NCI initiative and the MMHCC has a committee which accepts mouse strains from all over the world that are distributed at no charge to the research community.  Since the project began in 2002, I have negotiated more than 120 MTAs for incoming mice and approximately 550 MTAs per year for outgoing mice.  During my tenure, I have received a Public Health Service Award for my volunteer work, several cash awards, quality increases and customer service awards.  I have been at NIH for 28 years and I plan to retire when I have 30 years.  


 


My daughter, Kimberly, recently turned 36-years-old.  She graduated from Montgomery College with an Associate of Arts in Secondary Education, went on to attend the Baltimore International Culinary College (BICC) earning an Associate of Arts in Professional Cooking and continued on to receive a Bachelors in Science in Behavioral and Social Sciences from University of Maryland University College. While attending BICC, Kimberly met her husband, Patrick Gary, who was pursuing a second career after retiring from the Navy.  She went to work at the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health and was eventually promoted to supervise the Patient Travel Voucher Office.  Four years ago, Kimberly changed careers and became a substitute teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools and has been pursuing her Master's Degree in teaching from Mount St. Mary's.  Kimberly and her family loved vacationing in Deep Creek Lake and in August 2004, she and her family moved to Swanton, MD which is outside Deep Creek Lake.  She and her husband teach in the school system in that area. 


One of the highlights of my life was watching the birth of my adorable granddaughter, Sheena Marie.  Sheena is a beautiful, delightful, inquisitive eight-year-old who loves school, reading, music, swimming and dancing.  Sheena calls me "G" and I love being a grandmother.  Still a kid at heart, I spent my 54^th birthday with my  


 Sheena attending a play at Glen Echo and riding on one of the carousel ponies. 


When Kimberly started college, I began experiencing the empty nest syndrome.  At the time, I was working in the Pediatric Oncology and AIDS Branch at the National Cancer Institute and I became interested in children's issues and the fact that they needed representation.  I taught religion to special needs children and I began doing volunteer work at The Children's Inn at NIH and Camp Fantastic (a camp for children with cancer).  In 1988, I was appointed by County Executive Neal Potter to serve on the HIV/AIDS Task Force in Montgomery County.  I also sat on the Child and Adolescent Subcommittee of the Mental Health Advisory Committee and served as a surrogate parent for educational purposes for Montgomery County Public Schools to a six-year-old boy living at Redl House, a group home.  Currently, I am on my fourth appointment as a Citizen Volunteer appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Montgomery County Citizens Review Board for Children where I review cases of children in foster care once a month.  This is an oversight committee reviewing whether the placement of the child by the Montgomery County Department of Social Services is appropriate. 


 


Since I am planning on retiring in two years, I am exploring other volunteer options for the future.  Last spring, I took a 15-week course called Citizen Academy through the Montgomery County Police Department.  Some of the things I learned about included traffic and criminal law, cold cases, forensics and firearm safety -- I even shot 15 rounds using a Glock.  I visited the new jail in Clarksburg, rode with a police officer and worked with a call-taker and dispatcher at the Emergency Communications Center.  Since July, I have been volunteering two evenings a week at the Wheaton-Glenmont Station.  Currently, I am attending training sessions for the Emergency Action Team in Montgomery County.  This Team will be called to staff the Volunteer Mobilization Center in emergency situations.  Having been frustrated with the recent primary election, I will be the Assistant Chief Election Judge at my polling place.  


 


My spare time is occupied with my family and friends, and I enjoy theater, reading, music and swimming.