SILVER SPRING – Marye Wells-Harley, retired director of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, was sworn in today as a member of the Montgomery County Planning Board. Wells-Harley was appointed by the Montgomery County Council this month to replace former Commissioner John Robinson, who served two full terms.
Wells-Harley worked for 42 years for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, a bi-county agency covering parks, recreation and planning for Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. As Parks and Recreation director, she was instrumental in the agency receiving an unprecedented five top awards from the National Recreation and Park Association.
Before serving as parks and recreation director from 2001-2007, and as acting director for three years before that, Wells-Harley worked in several top-level management positions for the Commission. During that time, she was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council and the Prince George’s County Advisory Committee on Aging.
Wells-Harley’s long tenure of public service brought her the distinction of being named one of the Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record newspaper in 2004.
Wells-Harley holds a bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute and Leadership Washington. She is active in numerous professional organizations, including the National Park and Recreation Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and Roundtable Associates. She serves on the board of Eastern National and is a past board member of the Accokeek Foundation and the Prince George’s County Arts in Public Places Panel.
Wells-Harley, a Silver Spring resident, is the first African-American woman appointed to the Planning Board.
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