The Prince George's County Council, during the Exchange of Gavel ceremony on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, elected District 5 Council Member Jolene Ivey to serve as Chair for the 2024 Legislative Year.
Council Member Ivey was sworn onto the Prince George’s County Council in December 2018, and was recently re-elected for her second four-year term in November 2022. Previously she served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, where she was Chair of the Prince George’s Delegation from 2013-2014.
Among Council Member Ivey's priorities on the County Council are children and their families, the fight for environmental justice and sustainable practices, and ensuring residents receive speedy, effective, and courteous services from the County government. She helped start Family Connects, a program within Child Resource Connects, which provides nurses to visit new parents in their homes to support them and connect them with services, if needed.
A parent to five sons and a stepdaughter with her husband, Congressman Glenn Ivey, Ivey also co-founded Mocha Moms, a national support group for mothers of color.
“As Prince George’s County grows we should make sure that our families thrive along with it. Strong parents lead to great students, a more vibrant economy and safer communities,” Ivey said.
District 9 Council Member Sydney Harrison, was elected to serve as Ivey’s Vice Chair. Council Member Harrison was elected to his first 4-year term on Council in 2018.
Council Member Harrison served as Clerk of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County after being elected to the position in 2014. He was also the former Vice Chair of the Maryland Clerk's Association, and a former small business owner and real estate professional. Council Member Harrison is an active community member, serving the nonprofit sector and conducting missionary work around the world raising awareness for victims of domestic violence and foster care children.
