LA PLATA, Md.—The Charles County Commissioners announced the appointment of Mr. Mark Belton as the new County Administrator. Belton will begin his employment with Charles County Government on Monday, Dec. 17. Belton will replace Roy E. Hancock, who has been serving as Acting County Administrator. As the County Administrator, Mr. Belton will oversee all county departments and be responsible for the day-to-day management of county government, in accordance with the policies and directives of the Commissioners.
The recruitment process involved a national search. As part of the screening process, each candidate participated in panel interviews, which included leading community members. The candidates also met with county department heads.
Belton has 29 years of leadership experience in business management and public policy in the government and non-profit sectors. His local government experience includes having served as a governor-appointed member of a local board of education and as an elected member of a county's governing body. Belton served for 11 years as County Administrator for jurisdictions in both Maryland and Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University.
"I'm both professionally privileged and personally delighted with the opportunity to serve as County Administrator for Charles County," said Belton. "I'm particularly looking forward to working with the Board of County Commissioners to achieve their goals for the county, and to working with the county's dedicated staff in serving the needs of citizens."
Belton's government and private sector experience is complemented by a parallel career in the reserve component of the U.S. Navy, serving as a Rear Admiral and commanding officer of a 3,700-member organization with a mission to organize, train, equip and deploy units for sea and air port cargo-handling operations and logistics support to theater commanders.
From 2005-2012, Belton was the County Administrator in Page County, Va., and from 1999-2002, he was the County Administrator in Queen Anne's County, Md. He also worked for two years as the Assistant Secretary for Management Services at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. His tenure with this organization allowed him to gain an appreciation of how state government works in Maryland as well as a wide breadth of knowledge regarding Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Source: Charles Co. Government