Today, Tuesday, December 2, the Prince George’s County Council elected District 7 Council Member Krystal Oriadha as Chair and District 3 Council Member Eric Olson as Vice Chair for the 2026 Legislative Year. Chair Oriadha announced this year’s Council theme is ‘Prototype for What is Possible.’
“This is more than a slogan, it’s a declaration. A prototype is intentional. It’s bold. It is the first step in designing something greater than what currently exists,” said Chair Oriadha. “The people of Prince George’s County are not looking to us for what is easy. They are looking to us for what is possible. And we will rise to meet that expectation. We will show Maryland, we will show this region, what it looks like when a legislative body leads with intention, collaboration, relentless focus on the future. This Council will be the prototype of what is possible.”
Chair Oriadha, one of the youngest women and the only first-generation African immigrant to serve as Council Chair, was sworn into her seat on the Council in Dec. 2022. Her focus on the Council has been passing legislation that supports marginalized communities, Black maternal health, as well as housing and medical accessibility. Her previous career accomplishments combine more than a decade of professional experience within the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is co-founder of PG ChangeMakers, a grassroots organization addressing housing, food insecurity, healthcare, LGBTQ+ rights, police reform, education, and systemic racism. She was the youngest Junior Project Manager for Hewlett Packard’s Global Enterprise Management Team, employed as a federal government Senior Communications Consultant, building national campaigns around issues including human trafficking, domestic violence, and adolescent pregnancy prevention. She was the recipient of the 2019 Innovation Fund 40 under 40 Award for Public Service and the 2018 Howard University Alumni MoveMakers Award. She also served on the 2019 Clinton Foundation’s 20|30 Leadership Council.
Vice Chair Eric Olson was elected in 2022 to represent District 3 on the Prince George’s County Council, returning to a seat he previously held from 2006 to 2014. For more than two decades, he has been a leader in smart growth, climate action, and community development, helping advance over $450 million in redevelopment, expand bike trails and playgrounds, strengthen stormwater protections, promote renewable energy, and support major transit projects including the Purple Line. He has also championed neighborhood quality-of-life initiatives. Vice Chair Olson previously served on the College Park City Council, led the College Park City-University Partnership, directed the Sierra Club’s national Healthy Communities Campaign, served as Deputy Director of FairVote, and worked on Capitol Hill for then-Congressman Bernie Sanders.