At its Nov. 24 meeting, the Laurel City Council elected Ward I Councilman H. Edward Ricks as its president.
Ricks, who assumes the position from Councilman Fred Smalls, also served as Council president in 1984.
After being sworn in, Ricks said, "This is a great honor. I have been in this chair before and it served me well, and I've tried to serve the city well."
Ricks served four terms on the Council from 1980 to 1988. He was re-elected to his fifth term in 2011 and won re-election in 2013. A life-long Laurel resident, he retired from the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is a life member of the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, and serves on the Maryland Municipal League Homeland Security Preparedness Committee.
Ricks appointed Councilwoman Donna Crary as president pro tem.