Lawlah Joins Commission
Gloria Lawlah, left, stands alongside Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy moments after swearing in to her new role.
A Tested Leader Joins M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Board Panel
PHOTOS APPEAR COURTESY M-NCPPC
The Prince George’s County Planning Board of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission welcomes Gloria Gary Lawlah, M.A., to its five-member panel, adding a veteran public official with decades of experience in Maryland governance. Lawlah, appointed by County Executive Aisha Braveboy, was sworn in July 7, after being appointed by Prince George’s County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy and confirmed by the County Council after a public hearing. She succeeds Commissioner Manuel Geraldo and will serve alongside Vice Chair Billy Okoye and Commissioners Brittany Jenkins and Lori Matthews.
“Commissioner Lawlah’s extensive experience in education, public administration, and state legislation will be an asset as we continue to plan vibrant and sustainable communities,” Okoye said, citing the board’s mandate to safeguard cultural, historical, and natural resources while delivering parks and recreational opportunities to more than 970,000 residents.
Lawlah’s appointment extends a trailblazing career in state and local leadership. She served as Maryland’s Secretary of Aging from 2007 to 2015; steering programs focused on supporting a growing senior population and advancing aging in place. Before her executive role, she represented Prince George’s County for over two decades in the Maryland General Assembly, serving in the House of Delegates (1986–1990) and the State Senate (1990–2007). She was the first woman from Prince George’s County elected to the Maryland Senate and only the second African American woman to serve in that chamber.
During her legislative tenure, Lawlah championed education funding, co-sponsored measures that helped catalyze National Harbor’s development, and chaired the commission overseeing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge rebuild—projects credited with reshaping regional infrastructure and spurring economic growth. Earlier, she spent 30 years as a teacher and administrator in District of Columbia Public Schools, grounding her policy work in classroom and community realities.
Lawlah holds a master’s degree in English and Administration from Trinity University and a bachelor’s in Social Science from Hampton University. Her civic affiliations include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., the American Business Women’s Association, and the Women Legislators of Maryland Foundation. Honors include the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame (2023), among other statewide recognitions.
The Planning Board, paired with its Montgomery County counterpart, anchors M‑NCPPC’s bi-county mission overseeing parks, resource stewardship, and land use planning across the Washington, D.C. region.
