St. Mary’s County Commissioner Randy Guy to Receive MACo’s Praisner Public Service Award

MACo’s annual Praisner Public Service Award celebrates extraordinary service to the people of Maryland. St. Mary’s County Commissioner President and current MACo Board Member, Randy Guy, will receive the 2025 award. 

MACo is delighted to announce the recipient of the 2025 Marilyn J. Praisner Public Service Award, established to honor the remarkable legacy of Marilyn J. Praisner, former Montgomery County Council Member and MACo Past President. With support from the Local Government Insurance Trust, this prestigious award, a collaboration between the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance and MACo, acknowledges outstanding service by current or former county elected officials to their constituents, the state, and MACo.

MACo will honor Commissioner Randy Guy during its upcoming Winter Conference, at the Welcoming Banquet & Awards Ceremony on December 10, 2025.

James Randy Guy is serving in his third term as St. Mary’s County Commissioner President. Randy proudly served for 26 years in the Air Force before returning home to start a business. Before being elected he served on the Board of Appeals and as a volunteer with numerous local organizations. He has been a strong advocate for veterans and has worked with both MACo and the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland on veteran issues.

Commissioner Guy has lived a life of public service by serving 26 years in the air force, deputy sheriff, community organizations, appointed boards, and last but not least, the last 11 years as commissioner president. He leads by example, and that example is simple: helping others. His time is spent presiding over the commissioner meetings, attending numerous public functions, and ensuring that county government is responsive to its citizens. He advocates tirelessly for his fellow veterans, he helped ensure that the YMCA project happened for the citizens of Lexington Park, and recently he was the lone vote in favor of leasing county owned property to a developer to build affordable housing. He advocates for all of the citizens. He has spend a lot of time helping MACo, by being on their board of directors, attending their meetings and serving on their legislative committees. In these divisive political times that we have been in these past years – he has been a calming and steady influence on local government. He has made government more accessible by creating regular public forums for the citizens to interact with their elected and government officials.

MACo’s Winter Conference, “Local Leadership, Lasting Impact: Shaping What’s Next,” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD, on December 10-12, 2025. 

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: