A January 21 Maryland Department of Planning press release announced the immediate resignation of Secretary of Planning Richard Hall, who will be replaced by former Harford County Executive and MACo President David Craig.  From the press release:

As leader of the Maryland Department of Planning, Hall’s role was to serve as the state’s point person on smart growth. …

He spent his state planning career working to protect the best of Maryland in the face of unrelenting population growth. He approached that work from the interrelated issues of community revitalization and land preservation – what he called two sides of the “smart growth coin.”

Early in his role as secretary, and taking his cue from the governor’s office, Hall focused on preservation efforts. He was instrumental in helping pass and implement policies strengthening natural resource protection, along with many partners in state agencies and the advocacy community. More recently, Hall focused on revitalization of Maryland’s built areas, with a focus on rebuilding downtowns.

The press release also detailed Hall’s accomplishments as Secretary and his over two decade tenure with MDP.