Transition Leadership

 Janet S. Owens was born in Annapolis and was the first female elected County Executive for Anne Arundel County.  She served two terms from 1998-2006. Her priorities were education, economic development and land preservation.

Janet received her BA from George Washington University and completed her MA and doctoral course of study at the University of Massachusetts. She served in major state positions in Massachusetts before returning to Maryland, then served as the Director of the Housing Commission and the Department of Aging before being elected to the Orphans Court.

Following her tenure as County Executive, she served as a Board member and then Chair of the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation.

Chris Trumbauer has served our local communities in various capacities over the past 2 decades, most notably with his two terms of service on the County Council, beginning in 2010. He has also been a key environmental leader, as the West/Rhode Riverkeeper from 2009-2013, and before that as a member of the South River Federation Board of Directors and a scientist with the Department of Natural Resources. He has a deep understanding of Anne Arundel County government and was a member of the legislative committee for the Maryland Association of Counties. He was a Vice President at The Hatcher Group, a communications firm that works with nonprofits and foundations, and recently accepted the position of Senior Adviser for Policy and Communications in the County Executive's Office.

Chief of Staff

Jennifer Purcell, PhD, brings 24 years of program management experience to the County Executive’s Office. She has master’s degree in training and staff development and a doctorate in higher education administration. Her breadth of skills includes strategic planning, program development and evaluation, non-profit and grant management, event planning, and community programs.

Prior to living in Maryland, where she focused on non-profit and association management, Dr. Purcell was a faculty member and education specialist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Chief Administrative Officer

Ben Birge has spent his career in the public policy arena at all levels of government with particular focus on budget and program management and analysis. Most recently he served as the manager of Prince George’s CountyStat, a team responsible for providing analysis and oversight to ensure county services are operating in an efficient, productive, and cost-effective manner. He has spent time on Capitol Hill and the Maryland State House as a higher education advocate and created numerous databases and workflow improvements as an analyst for the Maryland legislature. He has been civically involved with Anne Arundel County libraries, public schools and the Boy Scouts. He has lived in Anne Arundel County since 1991 and in Odenton since 2001.

Senior Advisor

Peter Baron, Esq., brings nearly 20 years of experience in Maryland local and state government and politics. He is a former legislative director for both the Maryland Hospital Association and the Service Employees International Union, Maryland and DC State Council. He also served as Director of Member Services for Speaker Mike Busch. 

Transition Coordinator

Dejah Desiree Williams is a native Washington D.C. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in political science.  After graduation, Dejah worked as a press operations intern for the Maryland Democratic Party. During the 2018 primaries Dejah, left her internship to manage a District 1 County Council race in Anne Arundel County. Afterwards, she went on to work as an account executive and consultant for local races throughout Anne Arundel County.  In addition to her consultant work, Dejah also worked as a field organizer for the Maryland Coordinated Campaign during the 2018 election cycle. Dejah is also a member of the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee where she works to promote democratic values throughout the county.