County Commissioner Earl “Buddy” Hance took office in December 2018 as an at-large representative on the Calvert County, Maryland, Board of County Commissioners. He is serving his second term, which began in December 2022.
Hance served as secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture in the cabinet of Gov. Martin O'Malley from May 2009 to January 2015, after serving as deputy secretary of the department since February 2007.
Hance was born in Prince Frederick. Following graduation from Calvert High School in 1973, he joined the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department. Prior to his appointment to the state post, he served as a member of several civic and agricultural organizations including the board of directors of the American Farm Bureau Federation from 2004-2007 and as president of the Maryland Farm Bureau from 2003-2007.
Hance is a fourth-generation family farmer and owns a 600-acre working farm in Port Republic, where he resides with his family.
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