"We are confident that... Mr. Benoit will be one of the most impressive members of the council... He is a very bright attorney and military veteran who would bring stronger representation to West County," and "is a realist who isn't about to make false promises for the sake of votes." -The Capital Newspaper
 Jamie Benoit was born on October 11, 1971 and raised in Gambrills, Maryland. One of six children, Jamie is the son of a career civil servant and the grandson of an elected official from Massachusetts. Jamie spent his entire childhood learning the values of public service and brought from those experiences a deep belief that public service is the most critical work in the world, work that effects the most people for the longest time.
A proud graduate of the Anne Arundel County Public School system and Anne Arundel Community College, Jamie received his undergraduate degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland. In college, Jamie lettered in both varsity soccer and golf and earned scholar athlete honors along the way.  Jamie quickly turned his attention to public service and entered the United States Army. After graduating from the United States Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Army Officer Basic Course, Jamie served as a platoon leader and a staff officer in the XVIIIth Airborne Corps and the 3D Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
As a platoon leader, Jamie honed his leadership skills by leading a forty-soldier platoon. He earned universal praise from his chain of command prompting one officer to note that Benoit combines the “tenacity of a lion” and razor-sharp judgment, making him one of the “best officers I have ever known in 20 years of service regardless of rank.” Subsequently, Jamie was charged with all health, welfare and administrative matters for a 600-soldier battalion. During his service, Jamie was consistently rated among the most competent leaders in the entire Army. His distinguished service earned him the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Expert Rifleman Badge. While in the military, Jamie also served as an American Red Cross volunteer, coordinating installation-wide blood drives which raised thousands of units of critically needed blood for our armed forces. Jamie also served as a fundraising volunteer for a home for troubled youth. Jamie’s dedicated community work earned him the XVIII Airborne Corps Taking Care of Soldiers Award. After separating from active duty military service Jamie enrolled in law school at the University of Baltimore. Jamie received his law degree, cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he was a Law Review Editor and the captain of the College of Trial Lawyers National Moot Court Team.  In law school, Jamie was awarded the Larry Wing Award for Outstanding Service to Veterans, the National Moot Court Competition Best Oral Advocate Award, the Justice Lewis Powell Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy and the Gregory Doukas Law Scholarship.
Still eager to refine his legal education, Jamie moved on to Georgetown University where he earned his LL.M. Jamie quickly put his extensive legal education to work to help the community. In 2003, Jamie and another attorney were called upon to assist the Maryland victims of Hurricane Isabel secure relief from powerful insurance companies. His efforts led to revitalized communities in Baltimore County and clearer rules for the National Flood Insurance Program. Jamie also devoted countless hours of pro bono representation to the City of Baltimore in its successful effort to return 5,000 vacant and abandoned properties to productive use by redeveloping land into enhanced community projects. His efforts have led to a vibrant revitalization of large portions of East Baltimore. Furthermore, Jamie has extensively performed pro bono legal work for people unable to afford attorneys. In 2006, Jamie took his commitment to serve into local politics to give a voice to the people of the County who wanted more from County government. Since winning a seat on the County Council by a wide margin in 2006, Jamie has quickly emerged as the champion of increased commitment to our public schools, our teachers, the environment and a more transparent government. Jamie’s efforts during his first year of office have led to funding of two major school projects (Gambrills Elementary and Arundel High School) and more teachers in our schools.  Just a few short months after taking office Jamie also honored his main campaign promise: Preservation of the Naval Academy Dairy Farm. Jamie worked with his colleagues in County Government and in the federal government to secure the future of the farm. Under Jamie’s leadership, Anne Arundel County will control the farm for the next 30 years at little cost to taxpayers.
Jamie has also continued his crusade to create better lives for our nation’s soldiers. In September of 2007, Jamie authored a bill to create better job opportunities for Veterans by creating a hiring preference in Anne Arundel County Government for the brave men and women in uniform. Jamie sponsored legislation into law that provides equal treatment for County employees who are injured while on active duty military service. Jamie has supported funding for psychiatric treatment for county residents returning home from military deloyments. Jamie helped create a county-wide initiative to construct memorials (at no cost to tapxpayers) at each county high school honoring the alumni who were killed in service to the country. Jamie has also proposed to end the prohibition on members of the National Guard and Reserves serving in elected office. When not serving the residents of the County on the County Council, Jamie is Chief Executive Officer of Federal Data, an IT company specializing in enterprise data storage solutions for the federal government and the Department of Defense. Jamie is and has been active in a number of professional, civic and community organizations including the Piney Orchard Community Association, one of the largest planned unit developments in the State of Maryland, the Odenton Town Center Oversight Committee, the organization charged with implementing the Odenton Town Center Plan. Jamie Benoit and his wife Kari, whom he met as a child, were married in Jamaica on June 10, 2000. Jamie and Kari have two children, Isabelle Marie born in 2003, and Iris John born in 2006. The Benoits currently live in Crownsville.
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