Artie Harris is chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board. Mr. Harris leads the five-member board responsible for advancing large and small-scale land use plans, approving development applications, and reviewing and advancing park plans across Montgomery County’s expansive 323,000 acres. During his tenure, the Planning Board has strengthened the county’s life sciences industry hub with the approval of the Great Seneca Plan; preserved and expanded affordable housing with the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan; bolstered equitable growth and connectivity in the East County through the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Plan; and appointed new leaders to shape the future at Montgomery Planning and Montgomery Parks.
In addition to leading the Planning Board, Artie serves as the Chair of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), where he works closely with his colleagues on the Prince George’s County Planning Board to enhance the quality of life for all residents in the bi-county area.
Artie brings with him nearly four decades of experience in planning and developing multi-family housing and retail facilities, as well as an extensive background as a civil engineer. Before he was appointed as the Planning Board Chair in 2023, Mr. Harris was vice president of real estate at Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc. (MHP), a nonprofit real estate development organization based in Silver Spring, MD, that creates affordable communities in Montgomery County and surrounding jurisdictions. Mr. Harris also served as vice president at Bozzuto Development Company, where he led teams developing market-rate and mixed-income housing projects across the Washington, DC region and beyond. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University.
As a longtime resident of Montgomery County and an avid user of the park system, Mr. Harris is committed to advancing policies and practices that will improve residents’ lives and promote his county as a community where families can work, live, and flourish for generations to come.