Calvin Ball III

On November 7, 2018, Ball was elected as the first African American County Executive in Howard County history. On December 3, 2018, Ball was sworn into office, becoming the 10th Howard County Executive. In his speech, Ball remarked, “With our deeply rooted values of inclusion, equity, responsible stewardship of the earth, and prosperity for all, Howard County has the will and the ethos to be a beacon of hope and light shining brightly as a model of what America promises to be.”

Alongside Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, and Congressman Elijah Cummings, in 2009 Councilman Calvin Ball co-hosted the Howard County 1st Annual Men's Health Fair, which promoted health and fitness awareness to the men of Maryland. The health fair included fitness demonstrations from local gyms and fitness programs, free health screenings (dental, HIV, BMI, Blood Pressure), and a variety of show cases that advertised their healthy products or services.

The following year, on April 19, 2008, Council Member Ball initiated his second financial literacy event. This time he expanded the summit to include a wide array of financial education programs and services that would assist those families who had begun to feel hardship because of the economic slowdown. To help citizens understand the future of those services, Ball held a panel of people involved in financial services in Howard County.

In July 2007, Ball introduced legislation, which required some county contractors to pay their workers at least $12.41 an hour. The proposal applied to contractors that had five or more workers and made at least $100,000 in business annually with Howard County. However, the legislation exempted nonprofit organizations doing business with the county. Ball said to the Washington Post that "the fiscal impact is quite negligible, but what it can do for a family is invaluable," and that the "Government is there to help people who may not be able to help themselves."

In April 2007, Ball launched his first Financial Literacy Summit in Howard County, Maryland with at least 75 financial literacy stakeholders ranging from bankers, mortgage lenders, and financial education leaders and supporters. Ball launched a county-wide movement to expand financial wellness in Howard County.

Prior to his County Executive position, he served as a Council Member of the 2nd District of Howard County, Maryland from April 2006 through December 2018. On December 4, 2006, Dr. Ball made Howard County history when he was elected the youngest Chairperson ever to lead the County Council, serving approximately 50,000 constituents. On December 6, 2010, he was unanimously elected to serve his second term as Chairperson of the County Council, and again on December 2, 2014 he was elected to his third term as Chairperson.

In April 2006, Ball was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Howard County Council to represent the 2nd Councilmanic District of Howard County. Ball retained the seat in the November election. He has been an active Democrat, serving two terms as President of the Young Democrats of Howard County.

In 2006, Ball introduced legislation regarding the goal of Howard County to provision housing for all income levels throughout the county. Ball encouraged developers to provide a full spectrum of affordable housing and give the County options to help create and preserve affordable housing in his proposal. Ball saw that as the County's population swelled, the need for dispersed affordable housing for people of all income levels was vital. Ball's proposal included: providing preferences for those who work and reside in Howard County, establishing a right of first refusal for tenants and the County for the purchase of rental units when the owner offers the units for sale and establishing notice requirements for rental housing owners.

Between 2006 and 2007 Calvin Ball was the Community Organizer of the Oakland Mills Village Revitalization Plan. The Revitalization Plan's vision was to establish the Oakland Mills Village Center as a “true destination with a clear identity that is cohesive and well planned, while supporting thriving businesses and serving as a real center of community life”. The Revitalization Plan's goals were to energize the Village Center, increase communication in the village, support business in Oakland Mills, and support community activities. They classified their strategies to reach these goals as simple, moderate, and significant improvements that could help benefit the village center. Ball's tasks included documenting overall success for each month, progress towards goals by the various committees, progress towards goals by the Community Organizer, plans for the next month for committees and plans for the next month for the Community Organizer.

A certified mediator since 1998, Ball has worked as a mediator for the Community Mediation Program and the Maryland State Human Relations Commission. He also served as a mediation supervisor for the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Calvin B. Ball III (born September 2, 1975) is an American Democratic politician who serves as the county executive of Howard County, Maryland. He is the first African-American to hold this office. On Thursday, November 9, 2017, Ball announced his candidacy for County Executive for the 2018 Election. On November 7, 2018 Ball won against incumbent Republican Allan Kittleman. He was sworn in as the new County Executive on December 3, 2018.