Charles Ecker

Charles Issac Ecker (December 8, 1928 – October 21, 2015) was the former County Executive of Howard County, Maryland.[1][2]

Charles Isaac Ecker
6th County Executive of Howard County, Maryland
In office
December 1990 – December 1998
Preceded byElizabeth Bobo
Succeeded byJames N. Robey
Personal details
Born(1928-12-08)December 8, 1928
Uniontown, Maryland
DiedOctober 21, 2015(2015-10-21) (aged 86)
Columbia, Maryland
Political partyRepublican
ProfessionCouncilman, superintendent

Education and History

Born in Uniontown, Maryland, December 8, 1928. Attended Westminster High School. Worked in feed mills and Lehigh Portland Cement Co. as a laborer. Served in U.S. Navy, 1945-47. University of Maryland; Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), B.A. (biology & physical education), 1951; University of North Carolina, M.E.D. (physical education), 1955, and Ph.D. (education administration). In 1956 he returned to a family bakery business and carnival prize supply business. In 1964 he worked for the Carroll County, Maryland school system after writing a paper on Gymnasium efficiency. He became the President, Association of School Business Officials, 1971-72. In 1984 he was a finalist for the Howard County Public School Superintendent, losing to Micheael E. Hickey. Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 1996. Board of Directors, American Lung Association of Maryland, 1998-. Member, Executive Committee (at large), Maryland Council on Economic Education, 2003. Trustee Alumni Award, McDaniel College, 2010. Ecker was married with two children, eleven grandchildren. The Michael I. Yaeger being one of his great nephews. [3]

School Superintendent

Dr. Ecker served as Assistant Superintendent of schools.[4] After Dr. Ecker became Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools (Maryland). In 2006 he gained attention for banning the book The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things for language, starting a student petition against the book ban.[5]

Political activity

Dr. Ecker was the County Executive for Howard County from 1990-1998. Councilman Darrel Drown recommended Ecker for a candidate against incumbent Elizabeth Bobo. Ecker changed from Democratic to Republican party to run for the position.[6] Ecker approved the loan started before his term to renovate the historic Savage Mill.[7] Early in his term, he removed an 18-month building restriction prior to implementing an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.[8] In 1994, Ecker implemented the first use of self-insurance of the county to settle the case of the death of Carl Jonathan Bowie at Oakland Mills High School.[9]

In 1998, Ecker unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of Maryland against Ellen Sauerbrey.[6]

Member, Baltimore Regional Council of Governments, 1990–92; Governor's Task Force on School Construction, 1992–93; Baltimore Metropolitan Council, 1992-98 (chair, 1997–98). Board of Visitors, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical System, 1992-. Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Howard County, 1963-67. Director of Business Affairs, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Prince George's County, 1967-74. Assistant Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Howard County, 1974-89. Co-Chair, Economic and Workforce Development Task Force of Commission on the Future of Howard Community College, 1998-99. Co-Chair of the Ryland Homes Rouse sponsored Howard County Vision group.[10]

Superintendent of Schools, Carroll County, 2002-10 (interim superintendent of schools, 2000-02 & former assistant superintendent of schools).[11]

Member, Task Force to Study Public School Facilities, 2003; Governor's Commission on Quality Education, 2004-05 (vice-chair, subcommittee on global best-practices in education); Task Force on Comparable Testing Methods for the Maryland High School Assessments, 2004–06; Public School Labor Relations Board, 2011-.

Election history
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1994 Howard County Executive General Charles I. Ecker[12] Republican 64% Susan B. Gray Democratic 36%
1998 Maryland Governor Primary Charles I Ecker[13] Republican 17.2% Ellen Sauerbrey Republican 82.8%

References
  1. Kelly, Jacques; Rasmussen, Frederick (October 23, 2015). "Charles I. Ecker, former Howard County executive, has died". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  2. Tellegen, Egbert; Wolsink, Maarten (February 22, 1996). "Howard composting site raises big stink in Arundel". The Washington Post. ISBN 978-9056991258. Retrieved June 9, 2018 – via Egbert Tellegen, Maarten Wolsink (1988): Society and Its Environment: An Introduction, page 143. Psychology Press.
  3. "Maryland Manual Online". Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  4. "HPSS board Minutes 1979" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  5. Davis, Gina (December 7, 2005). "Book banning spurs protest Carroll students seek to get novel returned to school libraries". The Baltimore Sun.
  6. Wilson, Scott (August 30, 1998). "In Md., Stuck on Stumping; Charles Ecker's GOP Bid for Governor Is a Testament to His Will". The Washington Post.
  7. "Howard County Mill-to-Mall Developers Ask for Break on Loan". The Washington Post. November 20, 1997.
  8. "Howard County Abandons Growth Limits". The Washington Post. January 24, 1991.
  9. Coram, James (August 9, 1994). "Police brutality lawsuit cost county $30,000 before settlement reached". The Baltimore Sun.
  10. Ross, Pinnie (May 21, 1999). "Howard County Vision for the Future". Baltimore Afro-American.
  11. Schelle, Charles (June 13, 2010). "Ecker's final school board meeting is picture perfect Retiring superintendent praised by staff, officials". The Sunday Carroll Eagle. Westminster, Maryland.
  12. "Howard County; Ecker Reelected; Republicans to Control Council". The Washington Post. November 9, 1994.
  13. "1998 Election Results". Retrieved January 2, 2014.
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