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Lanham resident Wanda Shelton Martin (D), 50, who is running for the Maryland House of Delegates District 47 seat in Prince George's County, said if elected in November 2010 she will focus on creating jobs, stimulating the economy, using environmentally friendly building techniques and acting in the best interest of senior citizens.

"I am running for office because I have a desire to help the citizens of my community," she said.

Shelton Martin is a program coordinator for Wider Opportunities for Women, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit organization that helps low-income women find jobs, training and apprenticeship training programs.

Shelton Martin said she will bring her 28 years of experience as a labor member — a current member of the Office and Professional Employees International Union and a former member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — to push for agreements that would require workers to complete a union apprenticeship program and that would bind contractors to hire workers from the community.

"I just have ideas that I would like to bring forward that I believe will help our community, [and I will] show my community that I care about them and I'm going to work very hard for them, bring in the resources, the connections I have," Shelton Martin said.

Last month, Shelton Martin held an event at Bladensburg High School where professionals from the construction, cosmetology and real estate industries talked to young people about leadership and jobs.

Shelton Martin, who announced her run and filed Aug. 3, said she personally advocates for trade jobs, such as being an electrician, for displaced workers and young people who choose not to go to college or cannot afford it.

"I want to say to these young people or displaced workers, that if you look to getting a skill, you can work for a lifetime," she said. "Some of our elected officials in the past have said that without a college education, you're not going to make it — I think that's irresponsible."

Shelton Martin said she will advocate for green construction practices, including using porous concrete that allows water to drain and putting green roofs on buildings, which are roofs partially or completely covered in soil and vegetation.

As of Wednesday, no one else had filed to run for the District 47 seat.

Del. Doyle L. Niemann (D) of Mount Rainier, Del. Jolene Ivey (D) and Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D), both of Cheverly, are the current state delegates for District 47 and are eligible to run for re-election in November 2010 for a four-year term.

Niemann, Ivey and Ramirez could not be reached for comment by phone Wednesday.

Beverly Bentley, 47, of Forestville, who worked with Shelton Martin in the late 1980s and has remained a personal friend, described her as a dedicated, trustworthy and loyal, which she said are transferable characterizes for a legislator.

"The dedication she shows to her friends, family, her beliefs and the organizations she's a member of, that would transfer over to her community and constituents," Bentley said. "I think all of her jobs have led her to this point in her life. Most of her jobs have been labor-related — she has worked as an activist and organizer."

Bentley said Shelton Martin will listen to the concerns of her constituents and act upon their concerns.

"She will listen and work to improve," she said.

Larry Greenhill Sr., 62, of Clinton, Shelton Martin's campaign treasurer and friend, said Shelton Martin wants to put working families in District 47 first.

"She has a heart for people," Greenhill said. "She can bring good paying jobs to the people in the 47th [district]."

E-mail Liz Skalski at eskalski@gazette.net.

Position sought: Maryland House of Delegates, District 47

Party affiliation: Democrat

Place of residence: Lanham

How long lived in county: 28 years

Age: 50

Place of birth: Washington, D.C.

Current occupation: program coordinator for Wider Opportunities for Women, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit organization that helps find jobs for people of low income, particularly women, and helps train them and get them into apprenticeship training programs

Education: Associate's degree from Prince George's Community College in Largo; Bachelor of Arts degree in Labor Education from the George Meany Center for Labor Studies-National Labor College in Silver Spring

Community associations: Executive Advisory Board for the Construction and Development Institute for Prince George's Community College; executive board member of the Rise Up Stand Strong Foundation; regional vice president with the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO; vice president for the Greater Washington, D.C., Chapter of A. Philip Randolph Institute

Family: married to husband, Zachary Martin, for 10 years; daughters Shenine Shelton, 26, and Ashley Shelton, 21.

Campaign telephone number: 202-330-2022, Lanham

Web site: www.wandasheltonmartin.com