The Prince George’s County Council officially approved County Executive Rushern L. Baker’s selections to lead the county’s fire, housing, central services and environmental resources departments at a meeting Tuesday.

Marc Bashoor was unanimously confirmed as fire chief amid applause from an audience of uniformed firefighters and EMS workers. The nine-member council also confirmed Eric C. Brown as housing director, Monica Johnson as director of central services and Sam Wynkoop as director of the DER.

The confirmations mark the last major position fills by Baker, who took office in December. Wynkoop, a longtime county administrator, faced pointed questioning by the council just a few days before being appointed.

“I know this process is very long,” Baker told the council. “I appreciate the tough questioning and sincere way you went about this.”

Bashoor is a 23-year worker with the county fire/EMS department who left for an emergency management post in West Virginia in 2005. He returned after Baker was elected late last year to take over the department, which handles more than 179,000 fire and emergency calls per year.

Johnson takes the helm of central services, which awards more than $298 million in county contracts per year.

The other two nominees confirmed Tuesday were among those the council had questioned the most extensively since Baker announced them in May.

Brown was a former executive director of the Annapolis Housing Authority and worked in Baltimore city as well. Brown takes over an agency with a history of mismanagement and scandal. Former County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) pleaded guilty this spring to corruption charges alleging companies paid him cash and other gifts in exchange for help getting federal grants. The grants were awarded with the help of the former housing director James Johnson, who has also pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

Brown’s biggest supporter at the hearing was Annapolis housing official Trudy McFall, who said Annapolis housing has had similar troubles to Prince George’s.

“He will do it right every time,” McFall said.

Wynkoop, a longtime county employee and former County Council administrator, faced lengthy questioning by the council, who expressed doubt that he would improve the department that handles permits and inspections.

Unlike other nominees, Wynkoop was ordered to return to the council at a special session Monday to present plans on how he would improve the DER. The order came after members questioned Wynkoop for an hour last week.

Council Chairwoman Ingrid Turner (D-Dist. 4) of Bowie said she still had doubts but would defer to Baker’s choice.

“I put my trust in Mr. Baker’s choice,” she said.

Staff Writer Erich Wagner contributed to this story.

dvalentine@gazette.net