Montgomery County Council Elects Kate Stewart as President and Councilmember Will Jawando as Vice President
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
President Stewart says: “With unity and accountability to our residents, I’m confident that Montgomery County is well-prepared to meet this historic moment.”
The Montgomery County Council today elected Councilmember Kate Stewart as president and Councilmember Will Jawando as vice president. They will serve one-year terms as Council officers. Council President Stewart just completed a one-year term as vice president and continues to chair the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and Audit Committee. She is also a member of the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee.
Council President Stewart’s priorities for the coming year include planning for a sustainable future by advancing climate, transportation, housing and economic goals; addressing the mental health needs of our community; and ensuring that all of our residents, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status, are able to live safely and with dignity in our community.
Specifically, over this next year, Council President Stewart commits to working with community partners, County departments and agencies and council colleagues to ensure we have an interconnected, accessible, and holistic approach to address mental health issues.
“This Council understands that we are bigger than one person alone,” Council President Stewart said. “We are stronger when we put our heads together, roll up our sleeves and work to support the common good.”
In her remarks, Stewart emphasized, “In the face of adversity, we must be united in our sense of purpose. As we enter Montgomery County’s 250th year, and reflect on our shared history, it is up to all of us to come together and keep Montgomery County moving forward.”
Council President Stewart represents District 4, which includes North Bethesda, Garrett Park, Kensington, Montgomery Hills, Takoma Park, Silver Spring and parts of Chevy Chase. Council President Stewart is the first woman of the all-female majority elected to the Council in 2022 to serve in Council leadership.
In her role as the chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy and Audit committees, Council President Stewart has worked to increase fiscal responsibility and accountability for County departments. She has prioritized housing affordability, economic development and access to healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community.
Stewart has been a member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) since 2016, a regional organization with membership of 300 elected officials from 24 local governments in the Washington metropolitan area, the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures and U.S. Congress. As former chair and vice chair of MWCOG, Stewart led efforts to address the financial sustainability of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), ensuring the Metro system is in a strong position to continue to serve Montgomery County and the region.
Council Vice President Jawando represents the entire County as an At-Large Member. In his role as the Chair of the Education & Culture Committee, Vice President Jawando has worked to make sure every student has a high-quality education. He has also prioritized work to make sure our educators and staff are supported and to fund school construction.
“It is an incredible honor to have the trust and support of my colleagues in this new leadership role,” said Vice President Jawando. “I am committed to working collaboratively to ensure we are supporting our schools, protecting our residents, and upholding the values that make Montgomery County a welcoming community for all.”
Jawando also serves on the Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) Committee, where he has prioritized renter protections and balanced housing policies. His leadership was pivotal in passing Montgomery County’s first permanent rent stabilization measure, ensuring fair treatment for tenants while allowing property owners to maintain and build more housing.
Vice President Jawando joins the Council leadership team at a critical time, as the County continues to address challenges such as housing affordability, economic recovery, and strengthening community infrastructure. His collaborative approach and commitment to equity will guide his work to ensure Montgomery County remains a welcoming and vibrant place for all.
The complete remarks of Council President Stewart on her term as Council president can be read below:
Thank you to my colleagues. Thank you, Councilmember Balcombe, for nominating me and Councilmember Albornoz. Thank you for your collaboration these past two years on the council and I’m looking forward to the upcoming year.
Councilmember Friedson, I want to thank you for your leadership as Council President during the past year. Through unanticipated challenges, and many leadership changes within County government, you led this Council body with steadiness under pressure.
You doubled down on your longstanding commitment to transparency and efficiency in government, while fostering good governance. You also continued to uplift the values that make Montgomery County an outstanding community. I appreciate your leadership and your friendship.
To my Council colleagues, I greatly appreciate your support and your trust in me to lead this Council. My priority is to ensure that our work is collaborative, accountable, and that we always strive to find the best path forward for our residents.
This year will be a challenge. But what gives me hope is that I get to be part of a group of people who share the goal of ensuring Montgomery County lives up to our values of being a welcoming and inclusive community with a thriving economy and the best education system to prepare our young people and families for the future.
I am looking forward to working with Councilmember Jawando, the new VP of the Council, as we navigate both the challenges and opportunities ahead.
I would like to thank my office family, Chief of Staff Cecily Thorne, Paul B. Ellis, Diana Carrillo, Kiran Kochar-McCabe, Deborah Getachew, and Andrew Gelman, for their support and commitment to this work. And always centering the people we are here to represent.
Thanks also to Executive Director Craig Howard and the entire Council central staff for their dedication, knowledge, thoughtfulness, and overall amazing work that keeps us moving forward. It is a great privilege and honor to work with all of you.
And, of course, thank you to my family, for their love and support. First to my mother-in-law Barbara, whose encouragement and support – and feeding me at least one sit down home cooked meal a week – has made the work I do possible. For my husband who listens and shares long walks to help keep me grounded. To my kids who are my inspiration and a constant reminder of why we do this work.
To my dad who – regardless of agreement on politics – has supported my work.
Thank you everyone.
2024 Reflections
Looking back on this last year, this Council has been united in advancing many of our shared priorities.
We balanced many urgent needs in our community and increased funding for programs to assist the unhoused, tackle food insecurity, address our mental health crisis, and bolster services for our LGBTQ+ community. We provided record funding for our schools. And we did it all with record levels of public engagement.
We’ve passed measures to strengthen tenant protections, address our urgent affordable housing crisis, and reduce waste and noise pollution.
We continue to work to attract new businesses and industry to our County and support those businesses who are already here.
We’ve worked closely with Montgomery County Police and the Executive branch to make our communities safer by advancing the use in technology in ways that protect our civil liberties and privacy. And, before Marylanders voted to enshrine abortion rights in our state constitution, the Council doubled down on Montgomery County’s commitment to protect reproductive rights.
We’ve been able to do all this, together, because this Council understands that we are bigger than one person alone. And we are stronger when we put our heads together, roll up our sleeves, and work to support the common good.
Looking Ahead
With a new administration coming into the White House, we know that our local communities will be uniquely impacted by federal changes.
In the face of adversity, we must be united in our sense of purpose. As we enter Montgomery County’s 250th year, and reflect on our shared history, it is up to all of us to come together and keep Montgomery County moving forward.
Like we did during the last presidential term, and through a global pandemic and economic recession, we will continue to stay true to our values by advancing the programs, services and institutions that make Montgomery County so great.
We are already starting this work. I hope everyone will join us on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Executive Office Building for the United in Service and Support Community Resource Fair. In light of changes coming at the federal level, Montgomery County is committed to ensuring that all residents have access to information about essential community services.
This free Montgomery County resource fair will provide residents with a wide range of information about public health and wellness, including reproductive rights; job skills training and contracting; and available resources so residents understand their rights.
We all want to make clear that while the occupant of the White House may change in January, we are not changing who we are here in Montgomery County.
Advancing our Values
Over the next year, we will also grow our economy by supporting businesses and entrepreneurs in a fair and equitable way and continue to forge our path as a global leader in life sciences. Last week a number of us celebrated the second year of the Institute of Health Computing and look forward to the advances that collaboration will foster. As we said last week – the future of health is happening right here in North Bethesda!
We commit to boosting the availability of housing and affordable housing, especially along our transit corridors and near job centers.
We will advance engineering, enforcement and education to make our streets safe for all road users, and work with regional partners on a sustainable future for our Metro system as we advance our climate, transportation and economic goals.
Continue to support the Green Bank and work to advance our climate change goals while working to help cut energy costs for more residents and making the County more resilient from disasters.
We will advance strategic measures to keep our streams and waterways clean by protecting our local ecosystem that inspired Rachel Carson 62 years ago to write Silent Spring.
We will bolster our world-class education system by working in partnership with our new superintendent and Board of Education to provide our students and educators the tools they need to succeed and continue the strong partnerships with Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove.
Expand comprehensive mental health services and work collaboratively across County agencies and community partners to address the mental health needs of our community with a multipronged approach.
And amplify programs and services that advance a welcoming inclusive Montgomery County:
We will continue our work on racial equity both internally here at the Council and externally to ensure the policies we pass are advancing equity and dismantling historic, institutionalized racism. The Racial Equity and Social Justice Act was passed in 2019 – five years ago — and much work has been done since Councilmember Nancy Navarro led the prior council on this work. We know more work is needed.
We will continue to uplift immigrant rights and ensure the safety of all of our community members;
We commit to provide funding for services for our LGBTQ+ community and make sure Montgomery County continues to be a safe haven for LGBTQ+ residents as hate and violence are on the rise nationwide;
Assist those in the federal workforce who call Montgomery County home as they face uncertainty; and,
Ensure that pregnant individuals continue to have access to the best reproductive care and control over their healthcare decisions.
We will do all of this because this is who we are in Montgomery County and this is what we believe in.
Government Operations and Fiscal Policy
As the chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, I will continue to ensure all of our actions are guided by a responsibility to the Montgomery County taxpayers. For years, we’ve continually put forth sound fiscal policies that have shown up in our consistent Triple A bond rating and our strong workforce. This Council has and will continue to carefully maintain both bold and progressive policies and strong fiscal responsibility.
Mental Health Initiative
Specifically, over this next year, we will be working with our community partners, departments and agencies and Council colleagues to ensure we have an interconnected, accessible, and holistic system to address mental health issues.
We have a duty to make sure that mental health services are treated the same as physical health services and to provide a comprehensive approach for those in need of assistance regardless of age, background or income. We must work with our community partners to address stigma and create not only culturally competent resources and services, but ensure we are culturally humble as we engage on these issues.
The mental health crisis is not unique to us here in Montgomery County. Since COVID-19 across the country we have seen a rise in the youth mental health crisis, the crisis around serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the ongoing substance use or addiction crisis.
What is unique about Montgomery County and our strength is our diversity, our compassion, and our dedication to creating the best systems and policies to address these crises. I look forward to working with all of you to raise awareness of the excellent work already taking place and uncovering the gaps where more needs to be done.
Closing
With unity and accountability to our residents, I’m confident that Montgomery County is well-prepared to meet this historic moment. I look forward to getting to work on behalf of this great community that I’m privileged to serve and grateful to call home.
# # # Release ID: 24-425
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Genevieve Kurtz 240-777-7805
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=46253