HARFORD COUNTY EXECUTIVE - DAVID R. CRAIG BIOGRAPHY

David Craig was born in Havre de Grace and graduated from Havre de Grace High. He married his high school sweetheart, Melinda (nee Blevins) Craig. David and Melinda have three children, Randall, Courtney Craig Tramontana and Pamela Craig Overbay. All three graduated from Havre de Grace High School and were very active in sports and clubs, as well as church activities. In fact, David was the soccer coach for two of his children from elementary school through their graduation from high school.

The Craig's children have all graduated from local colleges, married, and continue to call Harford County home. As proud grandparents, David and Melinda have been blessed with seven beautiful grandchildren whom they surround themselves with at every possible opportunity.

Education, Career and Public Service

David received his Bachelor's Degree in history from Towson State College in and a Master's Degree from Morgan State University, in history as well... Additionally, he is a graduate of the Maryland Leadership Academy and the National Leadership Academy.

David enjoyed a long and fulfilling 34 year career with the Harford County Public Schools. He began as a history teacher at Edgewood Middle School and went on to hold positions at Aberdeen and Havre de Grace Middle Schools. In 2005 he retired as Assistant Principal at Southampton Middle School in Bel Air when he took on the full time challenge of Harford County Executive.

As a public servant, David Craig has served the citizens of Harford County at several levels of government. In his hometown of Havre de Grace he was first elected to the City Council in 1979 and went on to become Mayor of Havre de Grace in 1985. He began service on a statewide level in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1991 and was elected as one of Harford County's two Senators in the Maryland General Assembly in 1995. David had the honor and privilege of serving as the vice-chair of the Harford County Delegation in 1993 and as vice-chair of the delegation in 1998 and 1999. Upon completing his term in the State Senate, David was once again elected to serve his hometown of Havre de Grace as mayor, a position he continued to fill until taking the office of Harford County Executive in July 2005. In 2006, the citizens of Harford County elected him to his first full term as County Executive.

In addition to his duties as County Executive, David has served as the chair of the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council; as a member of the Economic alliance of Greater Baltimore Board of Directors; member of the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center Board of Visitors. He is currently the 1st vice president, and Legislative Committee Chair of the Maryland Association of Counties. Additionally, David also serves on the Boards of a number of philanthropic and charitable organizations.

David is a staunch supporter of scouting and scouting programs. As the father of an Eagle Scout, David strongly believes in the tenets of the Boy Scouts of America and the strong, rich heritage that scouting offers to our youth.

In 2007, David received the Harford County Good Scout Award from the Harford District, Boy Scouts of America and the Silver Beaver Award in 2009 by the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Preserving Harford's past; promoting Harford's future

In the early 1960's John F. Kennedy urged our nation forward saying "We choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard". These words are a fitting credo for David Craig, the Harford County Executive.

Echoing back to the words of President Kennedy, Executive Craig hit the ground running soon after taking office in 2005 and immediately took on the hardest challenges facing Harford County. In typical head-on style, David directly confronted issues such as Comprehensive Rezoning, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), improved public schools, public safety, and the sound management of a budget exceeding three quarters of a billion dollars.

An avid historian, in his Inaugural Address, David stated his belief as one shared by Teddy Roosevelt who directly and simply said "Do the best you can with what you have, and do it now". With that in mind, David proposed an aggressive school construction plan to help the county address growth trends as well as prepare Harford for future needs of one of the finest school systems in the state.

David Craig has pledged his support to enhance and improve public safety. David has worked with the Sheriff, Harford County's State's Attorney, and the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association to ensure that their agencies have the tools, training and resources to meet the challenges of the county's growing demand for emergency services.

County Executive Craig is working on several initiatives that will have a lasting impact on shaping Harford County's overall quality of life and provide future opportunities for generations to come. Chief among these initiatives was the challenge of updating a 25 year old zoning code. Economic development, continued preparation for BRAC and progressive stewardship of Harford County's rich agricultural heritage are all key elements of David's vision for shaping the future.