Calvert County Administrator Terry Shannon announced today her plan to retire following 11 years of dedicated service as county administrator and over 32 years of dedicated public service. In order to effect a smooth transition, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) announces Mark Willis as the administrator selectee to succeed Shannon later this year. Shannon will advise Willis in the coming months. Shannon's retirement will take effect on January 3, 2020.
"Ms. Shannon has a deep and proud legacy," said BOCC President Thomas E. "Tim" Hutchins. "Ms. Shannon was on the leadership team that brought Calvert County its first AAA bond rating, saving the citizens of this county millions of dollars in interest payments. She led efforts on a variety of significant financial improvements including the restructuring of the county's employee retirement savings program, developing a transparent budget process that helped improve public trust and leading the Department of Finance & Budget to win numerous Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Awards, among other accomplishments. Our county has been lucky to have such a talented and dedicated employee."
"We are also pleased to announce the selection of Mark Willis, who currently serves as director of the Department of Planning & Zoning, to succeed Ms. Shannon," Hutchins added.
"Mr. Willis is a proven and respected leader who has delivered strong operating results. He has demonstrated commendable leadership and the board is confident he will lead our employees to achieve great success in the years to come."
Willis will shadow Shannon in the coming months and continue to manage the Department of Planning & Zoning. Willis, who has served as the Planning & Zoning director since 2016, is the former deputy director of Public Works. Willis is also a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain and former logistics officer.
"It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve as county administrator," Shannon said. "I am humbled by the trust and encouragement the Board of County Commissioners has shown me over the years. County government employees are hands-down the best employees out there. As a Calvert County native, and having raised my family in Calvert County, it has been my absolute privilege to serve this beautiful community."
Shannon joined county government in 1987 as a staff accountant. She moved through the ranks to become deputy director of what was then the Department of Administration and Finance in 1991, finance director in 1999 and ultimately county administrator in 2008. Prior to her government service, Shannon was a comptroller for a computer business in Greenbelt, Maryland, and corporate auditor for Suburban Bank in Bethesda, Maryland. Shannon was the county's first female director of Finance and Budget, and Southern Maryland's first female county administrator.
Shannon is a Certified Public Accountant, member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants. She is a graduate of the Leadership Maryland class of 2013. She serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Calvert County Employees Retirement Plan, the Calvert County Sheriff's Department Pension Plan, and the Calvert County Employees Defined Contribution Plan. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Local Government Insurance Trust.
