Dr. Billy Okoye elected vice chair of Prince George's planning board
A 3-2 vote put Dr. Billy Okoye in the board’s No. 2 post as Prince George’s County faces major zoning, housing, and development decisions.
Dr. Billy Okoye won the vice chair seat on the Prince George’s County Planning Board by a 3-2 vote, a narrow margin that gives him a larger role in a board that helps shape where Prince George’s County grows, what gets built, and how fast projects move.
The election, held May 14 and announced May 21, matters because the planning board is one of the county’s most consequential bodies for land use, zoning and development oversight. As vice chair, Okoye is now positioned to help steer meeting agendas and the tone of deliberations on applications that can reshape neighborhoods from Suitland to Largo, including rezoning requests, mixed-use proposals, housing projects and other development cases that draw public scrutiny.
Okoye was appointed to the five-member board in November 2025 and sworn in Nov. 17 after being named by County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy and confirmed by the Prince George’s County Council following a public hearing. He brings more than 20 years of experience in business, community advocacy, real estate and technology. He is founder and principal broker of Sold 100 Real Estate, Inc., where he led more than 50 agents and more than $250 million in closed real estate transactions. He also serves as group managing director of BMO General Contractors and founder of Autograph Solar.
The move also reflects a board in transition. Okoye succeeded Manuel Geraldo as vice chair, and Geraldo had held that post since November 2025. Brittany Jenkins and Lori Matthews joined the board on March 19, 2026, while Matthews replaced William M. Doerner, PhD., whose four-year term ends June 15. Darryl Barnes resigned as chairman around the time of the vice chair announcement, adding to the turnover at the top of the county’s planning apparatus.
The leadership change comes as the planning department continues operating through construction at Largo Headquarters, where in-person visits are closed and the reopening date is still unknown. The board is still taking development applications electronically and remains reachable by phone, email and MD Relay 711. The board’s May 14 meeting was scheduled for 11:30 a.m., while a special May 15 meeting at College Park Airport was canceled.
The vice chair vote lands during an active period for county planning. The department recently held the inaugural Planning in Our County: A Course for Municipal Officials graduation event and announced $8.55 million in state funding for planning, parks and recreation projects in Prince George’s County. With development pressure still building and public attention focused on how the county manages growth, Okoye’s new post puts him near the center of decisions that will affect neighborhoods, traffic, housing supply and the future shape of Prince George’s County.
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