
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 18, 1995                   TAG: 9510180072
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

STATE BOARD APPOINTEE ASKED TO QUIT

An Allen administration appointee to the Virginia Pesticide Board was asked to resign Tuesday following revelations that he did not meet the qualifications as a ``citizen'' member.

An environmental group had questioned the appointment this summer of R.B. ``Steve'' Smith Jr., an environmental engineer with Taylor-Ramsey Corp. of Lynchburg.

Citizen Action said Smith's appointment was improper because he holds a state pesticide application license. State law bars ``citizen'' representatives on state boards from having training or other ties to the industries they oversee.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Betsy Beamer said the Allen administration was unaware of the license when Smith was appointed in July.

``Mr. Smith is someone the governor thinks highly of, and we hope he can serve the commonwealth in another capacity,'' Beamer said.

by CNB