New MOCO County Council President, Vice President Take Office

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The County Council has a new elected leader: former Vice President Gabe Albornoz is now serving as president. Councilmember Evan Glass is stepping into the Vice President role. Both were elected by the Council at its meeting Tuesday.

"Thank you to my @MoCoCouncil colleagues for the confidence you have placed in me to lead as Council President this year," said Albornoz in a tweet. "I am optimistic and confident we will continue to meet this moment and preserve the well-being of our County residents, in a holistic and sustainable manner."

"I'm honored to be elected as the Council's vice president and look forward to working alongside our new president @albornoz_gabe," Glass tweeted. "We have much work to do as we turn the corner on the pandemic and build a more fair and equitable future."

Albornoz is taking the place of Tom Hucker, who began his term as president in 2020. In a letter reflecting on his year in office, Hucker expressed his confidence in the new leaders and thanked the Council for their work together.

"Thank you to my Council colleagues for trusting in me to lead this Council and thank you to our residents for participating and engaging over the last year," Hucker wrote. "It is an absolute privilege to serve this amazing County each and every day and it has been a tremendous honor serving as your Council President."

County Executive Marc Elrich has similar words of encouragement for the new president and VP.

"I have worked with both of them on numerous issues over the last three years and look forward to working even more collaboratively over the next year," said Elrich in a statement. "Gabe and Evan have been helpful partners and leaders who are dedicated to serving this County."

Elrich noted the need for his own office and the Council to collaborate in order to best serve the county's residents.

"We have a lot to be proud of, but there is still more to do; and I am confident that we will build on our past success working with Council President Albornoz and Vice President Glass," he said. "As we continue to battle this pandemic and work to make our County even better, it is imperative that we (Council and County Executive) continue working together to build a more equitable and inclusive Montgomery County for all."