(June 4, 1996 - Baltimore) -- The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) announced today that the Honorable Eileen Rehrmann, Harford County Executive, was elected 1996-97 chair at its Annual Meeting on Monday evening, June 3. Dr. Charles Ecker, Howard County Executive, was elected vice-chair. County Executive Rehrmann succeeds Carroll County Commissioner Donald Dell, who chaired BMC for the last year.

The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is an organization of the region's elected officials which serves as a forum for identifying regional interests and developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs which will improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the region.

"Regional cooperation is the ability of government and the private sector to work together on issues that go beyond traditional boundaries and impact us as a region," Executive Rehrmann said upon her election. "The big three issues are economic development, crime and education," she added, "and there is also the opportunity to save dollars by joint purchasing when we can realize economies of scale." Executive Rehrmann also noted the desirability of working more closely with BMC's counterparts in the Washington suburbs on environmental and economic development issues.

Executive Rehrmann was elected a Bel Air Town Commissioner in 1979 and represented Harford County in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1982 until 1990, when she was elected Harford County Executive. In addition to chairing the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, Executive Rehrmann chairs the Blue Ribbon Panel for Tributary Strategies and serves as a member of the Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Commission, Maryland International Division Private Sector Advisory Council, Shock Trauma Board of Visitors and the Governor's Task Force on School Construction.

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