How to Address a County Executive

#1) In some jurisdictions the county executive is elected in a general election by the citizens. This official is addressed as:
——— – The Honorable (Full Name)
——— – County Executive
——— – XYZ County

——— – (Address)

#2) In other jurisdictions, an official with the same title might be appointed/hired by the county board/county council. Appointed county officials are not the Honorable (Full name). They are simply:
——— – Mr./Ms. (Full Name)
——— – County Executive
——— – XYZ County

——— – (Address)

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

So – you will have to find out how your particular county executive got into office!

Use the same formula (without the street address. of course) in a formal introduction: (Honorific)(Name)+(Office Held)

In conversation , an informal one-on-one introduction , and a salutation both elected and appointed county executives are addressed as Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (Surname) – use whatever honorific to which they are normally entitled. County Executive is not formally used as an honorific in front of a name in writing. Although someone might say (oral reference), “County Executive (Surname) will be here in five minutes” – that’s not a form of address. It is referring to an official in the third person so the listener understands the situation who and what.

— Robert Hickey How Address City County Administrator

NOTE: Administrator, Executive and Manager are used after the name in an introduction or on a business envelope for identification, but are not formally used orally or as an honorific.

For comparison see also Mayor of a U.S. City

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___ What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—- #1) At right on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—- #2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.) Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—- #3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.