Ellen Moyer's Bio

Mayor Ellen O. Moyer's re-election as the first woman Mayor of the City of Annapolis culminates a career in public service of over 40 years.

Mayor Ellen O. Moyer's election as the first woman Mayor in the 300 year history of the City of Annapolis culminates a career in public service spanning more than 40 years. She came to Annapolis in the 1950’s as a district coordinator for the Girl Scouts of America. Later, as first lady of the City, she spearheaded a number of initiatives in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful involving beautification, recreation and the arts.

As a community activist, she was the founder of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, served as president of the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, and developed the Parks and Paths for People program. She represented Ward 8 on the City Council from 1987 to 2001. During her tenure as alderman, she was responsible for founding GreenScape and the Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival, initiating the Street End Parks, promoting the Barge House Museum and the Eastport Historic Walking Trail, developing an innovative zoning overlay to protect the maritime industry, and bringing the world famous Whitbread yacht race to Annapolis.

Retired from a career as a teacher and Director of Government Relations with the Maryland State Teachers Association, Ellen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Penn State University and her Master of Education degree from Goucher College. She received the Citizen of the Year Award from Maryland Citizen Action in 1995; she was inducted into the Towson High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004; received the YWCA Leadership Award in 1991, 1995 and 1996 and received an SPCA Award in 1994; was acknowledged Volunteer of the Year with Citations for Excellence by Maryland Recreation and Parks for 1991-1992; and was honored with the Fannie Lou Hamer Award for Women of Excellence in 1999.

Ellen has been named three times as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. In 2004, she received the Spencer P Ellis Award for outstanding commitment and contribution to the environment by the American Society of Landscape Architects In 2005 she received the Liberal Arts Alumni of Penn State University's Service to Society Award. In 2007 the Penn State University Board of Trustees honored her with a Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Ellen received appointments from five different governors to state boards, including the Maryland State Board of Education and the Maryland State Racing Commission.

Along with performing her duties as Mayor of Annapolis, Ellen Moyer serves on the Advisory Board for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Adventure Sports Center Board, the Baltimore Area Council of Girl Scouts, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Vistors Center Executive Committee and advisory boards for the Heritage Area and Annapolis Alive! Charter 300.

Ellen Moyer's commitment to community and citizen involvement and the quality of life is her legacy of public service.