Planning Board Chair designates M-NCPPC Commissioner Bartley as designee on the county’s 17-member committee addressing racial disparities in Montgomery County
WHEATON, Md. – At the November 9 meeting of the Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Planning Board Chair Artie Harris announced his designation of Planning Board member and M-NCPPC Commissioner Shawn Bartley to serve on Montgomery County’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee. The County Executive forwarded the nomination to the County Council, which confirmed Commissioner Bartley’s appointment today.
The County Council created the committee as part of its 2019 Racial Equity and Social Justice Act to actively address racial disparities within the county. The committee, which reports to the County Executive and the County Council, sets the county’s racial equity and social justice priorities, and works with the community to identify critical areas of improvement and ensure racial equity issues are incorporated in policymaking.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be appointed to this important committee that works to dismantle persistent, systemic racism by creating more equitable futures for every county resident,” said Commissioner Bartley. “I look forward to bringing the perspectives of the Planning Board and The M-NCPPC to the work of this committee that can develop transformative policy and practices to achieve racial equity and social justice in every corner of our county and beyond. As an African-American I look forward to ensuring the stories and histories of those who contributed to the success of our county are included in all vital endeavors in the county.”
“Commissioner Bartley’s long record of public service improving quality of life in the county and the state make him a perfect fit for this role,” said Chair Harris. “I’m confident the thoughtful analysis he brings to his work on the Planning Board will be a great asset to the Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee and to our collective efforts to shape a more inclusive Montgomery County.”
About Commissioner Bartley
Shawn Bartley, Esq. brings to the Montgomery County Planning Board a wealth of knowledge and experience as a board member for a variety of organizations helping Marylanders improve their lives and their communities. In addition to being a Planning Board member, Bartley is the Chairman of the Board for the nonprofit Primary Care Coalition and a member of the Maryland Board of Education. Previously, he was Chairman of the Montgomery Collaboration for Children, Youth and Families, and was a board member for The Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring. Bartley is a practicing attorney and is the founder and principal partner of Shawn D. Bartley and Associates, LLC. In 2011, he was recognized by Legal Shield as its top corporate referral attorney in its North American attorney network. He earned his law degree at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana and was a scholar-athlete (football) at the University of Maryland, College Park while earning a bachelor’s degree.
Since the Montgomery County Council appointed Bartley to the Planning Board in March 2023, he has reviewed and cast votes on many important plans and projects including the Pedestrian Master Plan, the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan, and the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update, as well as multiple regulatory projects.