LEONARDTOWN, Md. — John B. Norris III, who served as Calvert County Attorney for 14 years, departs that position December 18, 2025, to assume leadership of St. Mary’s County Department of Public Works & Transportation the following day, marking a return to the county where he previously held legal roles.
The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County announced Norris’s appointment November 18, 2025, citing his civil engineering background and public-sector experience. He starts December 19, 2025, overseeing infrastructure, roadway operations, construction, development review, solid waste, recycling, and transportation services.
Norris holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Technology from Old Dominion University and a Juris Doctorate from Ohio Northern University. His early career included project engineering at NG&O Engineering, Inc., focusing on site design, permitting, stormwater management, and environmental assessments for various developments.
He advanced into law through an internship with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, advising on environmental regulations. Norris later integrated engineering and legal expertise in private practice and public service.
In Calvert County since August 2011, Norris acted as chief legal counsel, ensuring compliance with laws, guiding complex issues in land use, environmental regulation, and infrastructure. Calvert officials praised his contributions to governance and policy.
“County Attorney John Norris is to be commended for his distinguished tenure with Calvert County and his excellent service to its citizens,” said County Administrator Linda Turner. “The Calvert County Board of Commissioners, myself and Calvert County Government staff wholeheartedly congratulate him on his new venture in his professional career and thank him for his many years of faithful service to Calvert County.”
Norris reflected, “Serving Calvert County has been a great privilege. I am deeply grateful for the 14 years I spent serving the citizens of Calvert County as County Attorney.”
In St. Mary’s, Commissioner President Randy Guy said, “We are very pleased to welcome John Norris back to St. Mary’s County Government. His extensive background in engineering and law, combined with his years of public service, make him uniquely qualified to lead DPW&T.”
Norris added, “Now, I am honored to accept the position of Director of Public Works & Transportation in St. Mary’s County. This is a wonderful opportunity to leverage my background in both civil engineering and public law to make a direct, positive impact. I am excited to rejoin the St. Mary’s County Government and get to work.”
Norris’s prior St. Mary’s service included roles as assistant county attorney, deputy county attorney, and county attorney from 2001 to 2006, before private practice in Leonardtown and his move to Calvert.
The St. Mary’s Department of Public Works & Transportation manages county roads, bridges, facilities, permitting, and environmental programs, coordinating with state agencies on projects like those near Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Directors lead divisions handling daily maintenance, capital improvements, and compliance with Maryland regulations on stormwater and sediment control.
County attorney positions in Maryland’s charter or code home rule counties like Calvert and St. Mary’s involve advising commissioners, departments, and boards on legal matters, drafting ordinances, and representing the government in litigation. Transitions often draw from professionals with dual technical and legal skills for issues involving development and infrastructure.
Norris’s move highlights interconnected leadership in Southern Maryland, where officials frequently collaborate on regional concerns like transportation corridors along Route 235 and Route 4, environmental protection in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and growth management amid military and residential expansion.
Calvert, with Prince Frederick as its seat, and St. Mary’s, centered in Leonardtown, share borders and challenges in balancing rural preservation with development pressures. Appointments like this require commissioner approval, often following recruitment for candidates with proven records in public administration.
The seamless timing—departing Calvert December 18 and starting in St. Mary’s December 19—ensures continuity, allowing Norris to apply insights from one county’s legal frameworks to another’s operational needs.
Southern Maryland residents benefit from such expertise in roles governing public works, where decisions affect road safety, waste management, and sustainable development under state mandates like the Maryland Department of the Environment’s guidelines.
This transition underscores the value of interdisciplinary backgrounds in local government, particularly for departments requiring knowledge of engineering standards alongside legal interpretations of zoning and permitting laws.