Hawkins Out In Prince George's, A New Staff For A New Speaker, Henson High On Ice, In Notes

By Maryland Matters Staff, Maryland Matters

December 22, 2025

The ever-shifting membership of the Prince George’s County government will shift yet again on Monday, when At-large Councilmember Calvin S. Hawkins will resign to take a job in the office of County Executive Aisha Braveboy, where he will serve as assistant deputy chief administrative officer for economic development.

Hawkins made the announcement Friday evening.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the residents of Prince George’s County for the trust and support you’ve shown me throughout my tenure on the Council,” he said in his statement. “Serving on this body has been a profound honor, and I take immense pride in what we’ve achieved together. As I embark on this new chapter, my commitment to the growth and success of the County is unwavering, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with dedicated colleagues and engaged citizens to elevate Prince George’s County to new heights.”

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Hawkins, a Democrat, was first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. His current term ends Dec. 5, 2026. He would have been unable to run for reelection to his current seat next year because of the county’s two-term limit on council members.

His departure is just the latest change in the county, which began last summer when At-large Councilmember Mel Franklin resigned shortly before pleading guilty to stealing from his campaign account. He was succeeded by former District 5 Councilmember Jolene Ivey, whose seat was filled in a June special election by Shayla Adams-Stafford. In that same special election, voters chose Braveboy, then the county state’s attorney, to replace former County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who was elected last fall to the U.S. Senate. Braveboy’s seat as county prosecutor was filled by Tara Jackson, the county’s former chief administrative officer, who was filling in as acting county executive before Braveboy’s election.

Hawkins also ran unsuccessfully for county executive in a crowded field of Democrats in the special election to replace Alsobrooks.

Because his resignation comes with less than a year left in his term, Hawkins's seat will be filled by the county council. The council is now seeking letters of interest and resumes from interested individuals who are registered voters in Prince George’s County.

Those who wish to be considered for the At-Large County Council position have until 5 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 26, to submit a statement of interest and a resume to this link. In the meantime, Hawkins’ office will continue fielding constituent requests at 301-952-2195 or by email at ATLargeHawkins@pgccouncil.us.

A new staff for the new speaker

We told you on Thursday who was out on the staff of new Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), now the speaker is out with a list of who’s in.

Tom Lewis in May 2025. (File photo Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)

Many are holdovers from former Speaker Adrienne Jones’ (D-Baltimore County) staff while some come from the House Health and Government Operations Committee, where Peña-Melnyk had been the chair.

“As Speaker, I am honored to lead alongside a team that shares a deep commitment to our state and to the work ahead,” Peña-Melnyk said in a statement Friday afternoon. “I am not alone in this effort. Together, we will support the operations of the House of Delegates and remain responsive to the needs of Marylanders across the state.”

The list of aides announced by Peña-Melnyk includes:

Michelle Firmin, chief of staff

Erin Hopwood, legislative director

Tom Lewis, special adviser to the speaker

Patrick O’Leary, senior legislative counsel

Duane Bond, senior policy advisor

Vanessa Bustos, deputy director of communications

Jeanie Ferretti, legislative assistant

Melanie Gordon-Newell, assistant to the speaker

Rhonda Caldwell-Dove, office manager

Morgan Streeter, House administrator

Alina Freimuth, assistant to the House administrator

Tawana Offer, page coordinator

Robert A. Parham, sergeant-at-arms

Lewis, who worked for previous speakers Cas Taylor and Mike Busch, had been working as Montgomery County’s development ombudsman. County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement that Lewis would be missed, but that “Speaker Peña-Melnyk made a great decision in bringing Tom onto her team. He will be an asset to her office, to the General Assembly, and to the work they will do on behalf of all Marylanders.”

The speaker’s statement said sdditional staff announcements may be made in the coming weeks. Peña-Melnyk also has to line up her leadership team, including the chairs of the newly separate Health and Government Operations committees, that are being split out from the speaker’s old committee. The 2026 General Assembly begins in a little over three weeks, on Jan. 14.

Jim Henson High will have to wait

After an outcry by opponents, Del. Anne Healey (D-Prince George’s) has decided to withdraw her bill to rename Northwestern High School in Hyattsville for its most-famous alumnus, Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Healey said in a news release Friday that “after careful consideration,” she has decided to withdraw PG 502-26: Prince George’s County – Northwestern High School – Renaming, for now.

Healey said the goal of the bill was to “celebrate the creativity, kindness, creative genius and cultural impact of Jim Henson’s work, and how he continues to inspire millions around the world.” But critics called it a change that no one had asked for, and that the county can’t afford, estimating the rebranding the school could cost up to $1.5 million, money that school boosters said could be better used elsewhere.

The Prince George’s County Board of Education went on record against the change, after it was introduced at a county delegation meeting Dec. 1, and the head of the Northwestern High School PTSA told WTOP that the school needs HVAC upgrades, a traffic light in front of the school, more security guards and other staff, and those are “the day-to-day things that are the priority for the school, not renaming the school.” She noted that the school auditorium and performing arts program are already named for Henson..

Healey, a longtime Hyattsville resident whose children graduated from Northwestern, said she has been talking about the idea for years and was taken aback by the opposition. She said she had hoped recognizing Henson, a 1954 graduate, would be a “source of pride to the entire community,” but realized the time is not right.

“We can all use more joy in our lives, and I have always thought of Jim Henson as a bringer of joy,” Healey said in her statement. “I never expected or wanted this proposal to be controversial, and I remain committed to supporting the legacy of Jim Henson and his contributions to education, creativity, the arts, and Northwestern High School.”