Prince William County names Shorter new CXO

Christopher Shorter will come from Baltimore to lead the Prince William County Government.

In a 6-2 vote today, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hired Shorter and agreed to pay him a $350,000 annual salary. Supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Yesli Vega opposed his hiring.

Shorter replaces Christopher Martino, who served in the role from 2016 until his retirement on December 31, 2021.

Potomac Local News first broke the news yesterday that Shorter would be hired. He was on a short list of candidates, including Assitant County Executive Elijah Johnson, who had led the county government on an interim basis since Martino’s departure.

For the past 24 months, Shorter had been Baltimore’s City Administrator, a position created by the city’s current mayor. Before going to Baltimore, Shorter did a stint in Austin, Texas, and spent 10 years working for the District of Columbia Government.

Here’s the announcement from Prince William County.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors has selected Christopher Shorter to lead Prince William County government as its new County Executive, effective Jan. 3, 2023. Shorter will bring with him more than 18 years of experience in local government operations, to include extensive experience in strategic planning, organizational development and financial management. Most recently, Shorter has spent the last two years as City Administrator with Baltimore City government.

As County Executive, Shorter’s leadership and management will provide a clear course of action in accomplishing the goals, initiatives and policies set forth by the Board of County Supervisors by overseeing and managing a talented and diverse workforce of more than 6,200 full- and part-time permanent employees.

“After an extensive nationwide search, we are excited to welcome Mr. Shorter to Prince William County,” remarks Chair At-Large Ann Wheeler. “His comprehensive knowledge and insights of local government, along with a proven record of making positive changes in government operations and roles, will be an asset in advancing Prince William County to a successful and exciting future.”

As City Administrator with Baltimore City, Shorter led the development and design of the city’s Strategic Action Plan, outlining a clear vision for the City of Baltimore and establishing measurable goals and indicators of success. He also established a government Transformation Management Office, chaired Baltimore City’s Workforce Vaccination and Testing Operations Taskforce, established and led the city’s Sustainability and Resiliency Subcabinet and is leading a Comprehensive Procurement Reform process to assess citywide procurement rules and regulations.

Before joining Baltimore City, Shorter served as Assistant City Manager for Health Environment, Culture and Lifelong Learning in Austin, Texas, where he supported six city departments with a combined budget of $342.6 million and 1,926 full-time employees. Previous to Austin, he served in several leadership roles within the District of Columbia Government, to include the director of Public Works, director of Agency Operations, and chief operating officer for multiple departments.

Upon his start date on Jan. 3, 2023, Shorter’s annual salary will be $350,000.