About Marilyn Balcombe

Marilyn Balcombe is an effective advocate and community leader. Serving in her first term on the County Council, Marilyn is known for her strategic outlook on how to move our County forward. For nearly 30 years, she has worked diligently to make our community a better place to live. She has contributed her time and expertise to civic organizations, county government, and numerous non-profit organizations. She has also been involved in a wide range of County and State issues that reflect the needs of Upcounty. Whether it was a much-needed stop sign, a school boundary change, or a major transportation project, Marilyn never fails to roll up her sleeves to get things done.

Marilyn has a 25-year record of collaborating with federal, state, and county elected leaders to bring much-needed resources to our community. Prior to being elected to the County Council, she was the President and CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce where she has fought tirelessly to ensure that small businesses had the resources they needed to be successful.

Marilyn does not shy away from tackling big projects. She was a critical part of the team that built and opened BlackRock Center for the Arts, creating a strong arts and humanities presence in the Upcounty. She was also a strong champion for building the Germantown Library, Germantown Town Center Park, and the Watkins Mill Interchange on I-270. Her insights into multi-faceted and complex projects help champion County legislation that truly reflects the voices of residents in the Upcounty.

On top of the passion she has for building strong, vibrant communities, Marilyn Balcombe has the knowledge, skills, and ability necessary to make it happen. She has experience in accounting, finance, budgets, organizational management, human resource management, economic development, and organizational development. She is also well respected by her colleagues, community leaders, and elected officials both past and present. Throughout her professional career, she has relied on her ability to create partnerships to bring consensus to complicated issues. With a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee, she has the versatility to handle situations faced by members of the County Council.

Marilyn Balcombe is....

A PUBLIC SERVANT: Marilyn devoted her professional life to the public and non-profit sectors.

As an Organizational Psychologist, she served at the U.S. Department of Energy lending her expertise in the areas of organizational change, employee assistance programs, substance abuse, workforce development, and workforce transition.
Focusing her efforts locally, Marilyn worked for Montgomery County at the Upcounty Regional Services Center where she was closely engaged with the community on a variety of issues. During her tenure, Marilyn also created the County budget for the five Regional Services Centers.
Marilyn was then asked to take the reins of BlackRock Center for the Arts and considers it a great honor to have served as the Executive Director; overseeing the construction and grand opening of this wonderful community asset.
After returning from two years in York, England, Marilyn became the current President & CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce. For the past 16 years, she has been working to bring jobs to our community and nurture a strong, robust local economy,

A COMMUNITY LEADER: Building partnerships, coalitions, and teams to get things done.

Marilyn’s prior community involvement includes:

Montgomery County Small Business COVID Recovery Workgroup
Committee for Montgomery, Board Member/Past Chair
Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan Implementation Committee Co-Chair
Leadership Montgomery (past Board and Programs Committee Chair)
Women’s Democratic Club
Germantown Democratic Club (founding member)
Montgomery Women (past Board member and Power Tea Co-Chair)
Future link Board Vice President/Mentor
Asbury Methodist Village Community Advisory Group
Holy Cross Hospital Germantown Patient Family Advisory Council
Maryland Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Past President
Mooseum, Advisory Committee
Montgomery Moving Forward Leadership Group
2020 Census. Complete Counts Committee
County Executive Marc Elrich’s Transition Team
Montgomery County Election Judge
BlackRock Center for the Arts, Board Chair
Arts and Humanities Council Board of Directors
Corridor Cities Coalition, Board Chair
Northwest Cluster PTSA, Booster Club, Cross County mom
Montgomery County Literacy Council Tutor
Wells-Robertson House, Gaithersburg
Upcounty Citizen’s Advisory Board
County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Germantown Help
Clopper’s Mill Homeowners Association, Founding President

A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Marilyn has a long history of asking our County and State governments to provide the resources Montgomery County needs.

Marilyn has actively advocate for many of our County’s assets:

Montgomery County Public Schools construction and operations
Increased police funding
BlackRock Center for the Arts construction and operations
Montgomery College construction and operations
Universities at Shady Grove construction
Johns Hopkins University development
National Cancer Institute construction
Germantown and Gaithersburg Libraries construction
Germantown Fire Stations #22 and #34 construction

South Germantown Park and Germantown Town Center Park
School Boundary Changes
Various Master Plans including Germantown, Great Seneca Science Corridor, Montgomery Village, Germantown and Boyds MARC Stations
Transportation projects, including Fix270 Now, Watkins Mill Interchange, Corridor Cities Transitway, County BRT, Father Hurley Extension, Midcounty Hwy (M83), Century Boulevard completion, to name a few.

A PARENT: For Marilyn, family always comes first, which is one of the reasons why she is so invested in the success of Montgomery County.

As a full-time working mom, Marilyn understands the delicate balance of bringing home a paycheck while ensuring children have quality time at home and access to excellent opportunities outside of it. Her daughter was born and raised in Montgomery County and is a 2012 graduate of Northwest High School. As a result, she had an excellent education and an outstanding array of opportunities available to her. Marilyn understands that this is what every parent wants for their own children and will work hard to make this happen.

Marilyn Balcombe: Trusted. Experienced. Leadership. Your Voice in the Upcounty.

Every election matters. The 2026 election will bring significant change in leadership for the County. We will have a new County Executive and several newly elected councilmembers. During this time of transition, we need stability on the County Council. We also need to make sure the Upcounty is well and strongly represented. Marilyn Balcombe has the leadership, the passion, and the experience to continue her great work as an effective, dynamic representative for the entire County.