Thank You, Mayor Rick Meehan: Four Decades of Service to Ocean City

Few people have shaped Ocean City, Maryland, the way Rick Meehan has. For more than 40 years as a council member, council president, and mayor, he worked for the residents, businesses, and millions of visitors who call this town their happy place. As his tenure as mayor comes to a close, OceanCity.com thanks him.

From Summer Visitor to Year-Round Local

Rick Meehan's Ocean City story began the way so many do: with a family vacation. Born in New York City and raised partly in Cleveland and Baltimore, he first visited in 1962 and stayed at the Commander Hotel. Later he worked summers at the 9th Street Funcade arcade through high school and college.

In 1971 he made Ocean City his year-round home and started a business here. He knew the resort as a visitor, a seasonal worker, and a business owner before he ever held public office. That experience guided him for the rest of his career.

You can read a profile done by our intern, Logan Dubel, in 2021 here: https://www.oceancity.com/blog/mayor-rick-meehan

Four Decades in Town Government

Meehan was elected to the Ocean City Council in 1985 and became council president in 1990. Early on, he served alongside the late Mayor Harry "Fish" Powell, whom he often credited for much of what he learned about government.

In June 2006 he became mayor when Jim Mathias left for the Maryland General Assembly. Voters elected him to the office that October and returned him every two years for two decades, making him the longest-serving mayor in Ocean City history. He also served twice as interim city manager, for a total of 17 months.

Ocean City's Biggest Tourism Champion

Tourism was always at the center of Meehan's work. Over the years he guided Ocean City through recessions, storms, a pandemic, and record summer crowds, and he kept the resort welcoming and family-friendly throughout.

His work drew statewide recognition. In 2014 he received the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award for Worcester County, and Comptroller Peter Franchot praised him as "Maryland's mayor." In 2025, Chesapeake Charities named him Tourism Advocate of the Year.

He was also active in the community well beyond City Hall. He worked with the Ocean City Downtown Association, the Chamber of Commerce, OCDC, and the Art League of Ocean City, and as president of the Delmarva Irish American Club and co-chair of the Ocean City St. Patrick's Day Parade.

WATCH: The Insider Interview: Mayor Rick Meehan

A Friend to Shore Craft Beer and Local Brewers

At OceanCity.com, we saw Mayor Meehan's commitment to tourism firsthand. He personally supported Shore Craft Beer, a project of StateVentures and OceanCity.com, from the start.

Meehan saw early on that craft beer could draw a new kind of visitor to the Eastern Shore. He helped promote craft beer tourism in the region and added it to the Town of Ocean City's strategic plan, which put local brewing on the town's official agenda for growth.

He also showed up. Mayor Meehan attended our beer festivals and spent time talking with the people who came. He noticed that most attendees were not Ocean City residents, and he made a point of welcoming them to our town. He asked for their opinions, listened to their feedback, and valued what they told him. That kind of personal attention helps turn a first-time visitor into a lifelong fan of Ocean City.

Thank You, Mayor Meehan

After 20 years as mayor and more than four decades in town government, Rick Meehan leaves a legacy built on hard work, hospitality, and a deep love for Ocean City. Council President Matt James will now lead the town as mayor, building on the foundation that Meehan and many others helped create.

On behalf of everyone at OceanCity.com, StateVentures, and Shore Craft Beer, thank you, Mayor Meehan, for your many years of service to Ocean City, Maryland. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

What's your favorite memory of Mayor Meehan? Share it in the comments or on our Facebook page.