Celebrating Betty Hewlett
Business Roundtable; County Executive Share Remarks In Recognition Of Betty Hewlett, Retired Chair, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
By Raoul Dennis
After over 20 years of service and a full career at Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Elizabeth “Betty” Hewlett was recognized by The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable at a March 8 meeting of the influential group. She retired from M-NCPPC in December 2021.
Hewlett is the first African American woman and the first woman to serve as Chairman of the Prince George’s County Planning Board of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). M-NCPPC has 6,000 employees, a police department, and a $335 million budget supporting facilities and parks across Prince George's County. The chair presides over 27,000 acres of parkland throughout the county.
Hewlett was first appointed chair in 1995 by Wayne Curry. She came to the position from the law firm of Shipley, Horne & Hewlett, P.A.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made a special appearance at the GPGBR meeting to help pay tribute to Hewlett whom she referred to as friend, sister and mentor.
“We could not have carried out the work that we carried out over these last few years without Betty and without her leadership and for that, I am forever indebted to her,” Alsobrooks said of Hewlett who postponed her retirement in order to allow the first term county executive to get her administration started and stable.
“Over the course of her career, she has been a trailblazer and has accomplished so very much,” Alsobrooks continued. “Just over the past few years, she was instrumental in our response to COVID-19 and she helped formulate and execute plans that made our residents safer, and also helped to reduce food insecurity in our accounts. Another key project that she oversaw [as chair for county Complete Count Committee where] we saw some of the best results that we've seen in decades, was in the 2020 census count, which took place during a global pandemic (which ended most of our census plans that we'd been preparing for four months),” Alsobrooks said.
The award was given to the recently retired manager by GPGBR Board Chair Donna Cooper, Pepco Region President.
“We have a small token that just highlights your distinguished service,” Cooper said. “On behalf of the Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable, and the Andrews Alliance, we recognize and thank Elizabeth M. Hewlett for more than two decades of distinguished and award-winning leadership as the chair of the Prince George's County Planning Board, breaking ground as the board's first African American and woman to hold the post.”
Hewlett, who has a penchant for breaking tension in heavy moments with her light touch and wit, responded warmly.
“I'm awe-stricken,” Hewlett said. “I want to thank the Greater Prince George's [Business] Roundtable for this wonderful presentation. I know where your office is right here, I can come pick that bad boy up at any time,” Hewlett said to the GPGBR leadership of the award through the ZOOM-based meeting. “I do want to thank you for your beautiful remarks and for the opportunity to serve the residents of Prince George’s County. Prince George’s County is my heart. We all know that. It means the world to me. It's been the privilege of a lifetime to serve.”
