KEN ULMAN, County Executive

Biography

On December 4, 2006, at the age of 32, Ken Ulman was sworn in as Howard County Executive – the youngest County Executive ever elected in the State of Maryland.

After representing District 4 as a County Council member, Ken was more than ready to take on the challenge of representing every citizen who calls Howard County home.

Ken has been called "smart, committed and focused." In the first months of his term, Ken delivered on his campaign platform by focusing on key areas, such as public safety and health, education and the environment, while always keeping his eyes on his number one focus—strengthening the excellent quality of life Howard County is known for. Ken moved quickly to assemble new management of the County, mixing significant institutional knowledge with several fresh faces and new ideas. Ken's senior staff includes cabinet appointments such as: Chief Administrative Officer Lonnie Robbins, Howard County Health Officer Peter Beilenson, MD, MPH, and County Solicitor Margaret Ann Nolan, formerly Chief of the Civil Division in the Maryland Attorney General's Office.

Ken is “leading the charge in Howard County …. and brings needed energy to the county government,” according to a September 11, 2007, article in The Washington Post.

During his 3rd month in office, Ken invited the best environmental experts in the County to serve on the newly created Commission on the Environment and Sustainability. Members spent six months working to identify sound environmental practices: one result of that process is that Howard County now provides significant tax credits to businesses that build “green” buildings.

It is important to note, Ken made Howard County among the first counties in the Country to be an active participant in the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, an effort to reduce global warming.

Ken is “the new Green Lantern…determined….with an ambitious agenda,” according to an August 5, 2007, story in The Baltimore Sun. On August 15, 2007, the Sun also reported “Ulman has made environmental progress and energy savings a key issue in his administration.”

Ken's commitment to public health is no less ambitious and quite personal as he watched his brother, Doug, fight cancer at a young age. Ken clearly understands the need for everyone to have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and he is passionate about everyone having access to preventive medicine.

Ken has served on the board of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and is especially proud of his involvement with the fund his family founded after Doug became ill. Doug is now a three-time survivor and a true crusader on cancer awareness as president of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Both Ken’s parents are cancer survivors too.

In September 2007, Ken announced plans to make Howard County one of the first counties in the country to offer affordable access to health care for uninsured residents. According to a Baltimore Sun article on September 13, 2007, “the move would put prosperous Howard in the forefront of the national debate about the availability of health care.”

Ken made that announcement official on October 16, 2007, when he unveiled details of the Healthy Howard Plan. The plan would offer participants six visits to physicians each year along with individual health care coaches. The ambitious low-cost plan, designed so it can be adapted elsewhere in the country, will begin in July 2008 with plans to enroll 2,000 people in the first year.

Regionally, Ken is Chair of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board and Chair of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. He serves on the Maryland Association of Counties' Board of Directors and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the County Executives of America. Ken was named one of Baltimore Magazine’s “15 Most Intriguing People of 2007” as well as being named one of Baltimore Business Journal’s “40 under 40”, which honors 40 of the regions top up-and-comers making a name for themselves and their businesses.

With lifelong roots to the community, Ken is a product of the local public school system. He graduated from Centennial High School and received his bachelor's degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. He completed his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Before being elected County Executive, Ken ran his own law firm in Columbia which has provided him with experience as both a leader and a businessman.

Here's something you may not know about Ken: he was actually one of the first babies born at Howard County General Hospital. Today the County Executive and his wife Jacqueline live in Columbia with their two young daughters.