James K. Giese died on August 2, 2025, at his home in the Collington Life Care Community. Giese was 94 years old. He was born September 5, 1931, in Milwaukee, Wisc. Named Greenbelt’s fourth city manager in 1962 when he was 32 years old, he remained in that position for more than 29 years.
Although Giese learned about planned communities in the eighth grade and council-manager forms of government at Beloit College, he did not know Greenbelt’s history before he applied for the city manager job. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from Kansas University. His prior management experience was in the finance department of the City of Kenosha, Wisc., and as assistant city manager of Western Springs, Ill., near Chicago.
From the beginning, he discovered that county planners had drawn up a new Greenbelt/College Park Master Plan which showed the city’s population growing from nearly 7,500 to 50,000. Massive apartment complexes were proposed. Springhill Lake Apartments (now Franklin Park) were under construction. Within five years, nearly 10,000 new residents occupied 2,900 apartments. The city’s population today hovers around 25,000 according to the 2020 U. S. census.
Former city manager Mike McLaughlin recalls that Greenbelt was the center of new development in Prince George’s County from the 1960s through the 1980s. Greenbelt’s location, available land and city services created a popular location for developers, he stated.
Giese often worked late in his office while he considered alternatives to large-scale development. He prepared detailed reports for city council, advisory boards, staff and residents to build understanding and consensus on controversial projects. Gradually, developers learned to modify their plans to satisfy the city. Despite ongoing disputes, Giese focused on achieving his management objectives and received numerous professional awards.
During those challenging years, he refrained from involvement in public or political matters. He didn’t attend meetings other than those sponsored by the city. He shunned political gatherings and refused to declare any political affiliation.
From the beginning of his tenure, he sought to professionalize city operations. He was determined to establish a model police department. When he began his job as city manager, the police department had six officers. When he retired, the department consisted of 50 racially diverse, trained uniformed officers.
He declared that the construction of Green Ridge House was his most challenging job. The federal government financed the housing project for low-income seniors while the city would own and operate it. However, cost overruns threatened the project. “Fortunately, all ended well,” Giese said in a presentation before Collington residents.
Greenbelt lacked a professional planner until the late 1980s. With the aid of a dedicated staff, Giese managed construction projects that included a police station, public works facility, senior housing, recreation centers, an indoor pool, ballfields and playgrounds. His guidance helped facilitate the relatively “smooth development of Greenbelt East,” McLaughlin said.
Giese strongly supported the establishment of the Greenbelt Museum through the city’s purchase of an original home at 10-B Crescent Road. As his friend Kathy Reynolds said, “He knew Greenbelt history like the back of his hand.”
He was proud of his role in preparing the application that resulted in all the original Greenbelt homes and remaining undeveloped land being included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Later Greenbelt was designated a National Planning Landmark. He applauded the team effort that included the members of city council, employees and residents who helped him realize these achievements.
He welcomed the children of staff members who visited their moms in city offices after school. McLaughlin commented, “Being family friendly was not a stated city policy, but Greenbelt was his family.”
After retiring in 1991, Giese joined the staff of the News Review and later became a board member. While he was recognized for his analyses of urban affairs and political elections, he particularly enjoyed writing about Greenbelt’s early history as a planned community. He also volunteered as a docent, leading tours at the Greenbelt Museum. In 2010, he was named Greenbelt’s Outstanding Citizen for his contributions to the community after he retired.
It was at the News Review office that he got to know another longtime Greenbelter, Bernina (Bernie) McGee. Both enjoyed editing and proofreading. They married, in what some have described as a joyful ceremony, on March 21, 1998. They traveled often and were active in the Greenbelt Community Church. In 2009, after living in Greenbelt for 40 years, they moved from their single-family home on Maplewood Court to a cottage in Collington in Mitchellville.
Greenbelter Kathy Reynolds remembers the many social outings Jim and Bernie hosted with their friends. Some of the ladies called themselves “Giese’s Golden Girls.” She and other family and friends will miss the stories he wrote about his family and life experiences that he sent to them every Saturday.
For much of his life, Giese had remained unmarried; however, he later assumed a parental role to his stepdaughters, Marci Milligan and Mickey Sheppard, demonstrating care and commitment in his family relationships. They formed a close family bond, getting together for holidays and other special occasions.
He is survived by his stepdaughters, Marci Milligan (Dan) and Michelle (Mickey) Sheppard (Harold); four grandchildren: Kayla Sheppard, Siobhann Cemper (Kirk), Kieran Milligan (Kim), Colin Milligan (Beth); and five great-grandchildren, Declan and Liam Cemper, Kiera, Maeve and Conor Milligan. He was preceded in death by his wife Bernina McGee Giese, his parents Gerome and Grace Giese and brother Robert.
Giese’s Celebration of Life service will be held at the Greenbelt Community Church on Friday, September 5 (his birthday) at 11 a.m. Following the service, there will be a luncheon held at the Greenbelt Fire Station. On Saturday, September 6 at 2 p.m., in the auditorium at Collington Life Care Community in Mitchellville, there will be an ice cream sundae bar, where people can make their own sundaes in his honor; he loved ice-cream!
