UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Angela Alsobrooks made history Monday morning as she formally became the first woman to serve as county executive in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
“It is time we stand up with our backs straight, with our chests out and our heads held high,” Alsobrooks said as she was sworn in to office during a ceremony in Upper Marlboro.
The entire County Council was also sworn in.
“I am here to make sure that the state, the region, the country and the world all know who we are and what we are,” Alsobrooks said, calling the county “Maryland’s crown jewel.”
Alsobrooks takes over for Rushern Baker, who served for eight years.
“We are in a much different place during his inauguration, but he has led us with dignity and character,” Alsobrooks said of Baker.
Alsobrooks highlighted a significant drop in crime, saying violent crime dropped 40 percent over the past eight years.
She also pointed to economic development: “Prince George’s County, a majority African-American jurisdiction, is in the top 2 to 3 percent of the wealthiest counties in the United States,” Alsobrooks said. “We are the driving force in Maryland.”
Alsobrooks, who was the county’s state’s attorney for eight years, has held numerous positions in county government. She began her career as a county assistant state’s attorney in 1997.
In 2002, Alsobrooks was appointed by the county executive to serve as education liaison. The following year, she was appointed to executive director of the county’s revenue authority.
Alsobrooks said she will do as county executive more to revitalize communities, address mental illness and addictions and invest in transportation projects and education.
“We will create a pathway for every child to succeed and we will ensure that they get a head start as we build toward universal pre-K for every child,” she said.
