| | [[Image:MichaelSteelebiors.jpg|right|175px]] '''Michael S. Steele''' was elected chairman of the [[Republican National Committee]] in January 2009. Previously he headed the [[conservative]] grassroots organization GOPAC. He served as [[Lieutenant Governor]] of [[Maryland]] from 2003 through 2007. | | [[Image:MichaelSteelebiors.jpg|right|175px]] '''Michael S. Steele''' was elected chairman of the [[Republican National Committee]] in January 2009. Previously he headed the [[conservative]] grassroots organization GOPAC. He served as [[Lieutenant Governor]] of [[Maryland]] from 2003 through 2007. |
| − | Steele was the first [[African American]] elected to state-wide office in Maryland when he became Lieutenant Governor in 2003. | + | Steele was the first [[African American]] elected to state-wide office in Maryland when he became Lieutenant Governor in 2003, and is the first black GOP national chairman. |
| | He was born October 19, 1958 in Maryland. In 1981, he received a bachelor's degree in international relations from [[Johns Hopkins University]]. After considering becoming a Catholic priest and spending three years at the Order of St. Augustine seminary, he received a law degree when he graduated from [[Georgetown University]] Law Center in 1991. From 1991 through 1997 he was a corporate securities attorney at the international law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in [[Washington, D.C.]], specializing in sophisticated financial transactions on behalf of Wall Street underwriters.<ref>[http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/html/msa13921.html Maryland State Archives, "LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: MICHAEL S. STEELE, Lt.Governor (Republican)"]</ref>. He also was a corporate finance counsel for the Mills Corporation and founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. | | He was born October 19, 1958 in Maryland. In 1981, he received a bachelor's degree in international relations from [[Johns Hopkins University]]. After considering becoming a Catholic priest and spending three years at the Order of St. Augustine seminary, he received a law degree when he graduated from [[Georgetown University]] Law Center in 1991. From 1991 through 1997 he was a corporate securities attorney at the international law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in [[Washington, D.C.]], specializing in sophisticated financial transactions on behalf of Wall Street underwriters.<ref>[http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/html/msa13921.html Maryland State Archives, "LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: MICHAEL S. STEELE, Lt.Governor (Republican)"]</ref>. He also was a corporate finance counsel for the Mills Corporation and founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. |