Just days away from taking office, incoming Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, on Friday elected four more people to lead the administration. The couple is a handover from outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan’s (Republican) cabinet.
Moore named Russell Strickland as Director of Crisis Management, Carolyn Scruggs as Director of Public Safety and Corrections, Katie Savage as Director of Information Technology, and Harold “Bud” Frank as Deputy Director of Public Safety. He said he would hire him as chief of staff. and homeland security.
In a statement, Moore called the quartet “an incredibly experienced and diverse leader.”
“These public servants know they can help build the future we want to see here in Maryland,” he said.
Russell Strickland. Courtesy photo.
Strickland has served as secretary for emergency management under Hogan since October 2021 and has operated the agency since 2015 when it was a non-cabinet-level division known as the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. increase. He has also served as Harford County Emergency Response Officer and has held public safety positions at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also served as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, patrol officer, dispatcher, fire investigator, and many other roles statewide in the emergency management field.
Carolyn Scruggs. Courtesy photo.
Scruggs was appointed Acting Commissioner of Public Safety and Correctional Services on January 1 and has served the agency for 27 years in various capacities. He serves as Deputy Commissioner for Pretrial Detention and Services. He is the deputy director of the corrections office.
Katie Savage. Courtesy photo.
Savage leads the Defense Digital Service of the US Department of Defense, leading dozens of programmers, designers, engineers and data scientists. She has developed a mobile tracking application for use by 200,000 employees, cybersecurity measures to ensure safe vaccine production and delivery as part of Operation Warpspeed, and an emergency communications software toolkit for top management. , helped lead the agency’s COVID-19 response. An official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Prior to working with DOD, Savage served as Director of Operations and Services for the City of Chicago’s She City Tech Collaborative.
Harold “Bud” Frank. Courtesy photo.
After a 28-year career in law enforcement, Frank joins the new administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety and Homeland Security. Frank is a former lieutenant and acting commander of the Maryland State Police, and has held various security roles within the state government. He served as Director of Security for the Maryland Port Authority and later as his Senior Advisor and Director of Homeland Security, Emergency Management, and Railroad Safety for the Maryland Department of Transportation. In 2019, Hogan appointed Frank as statewide interoperability coordinator for the Maryland State Police to coordinate emergency response communications across jurisdictional boundaries.
Moore is set to take office Wednesday, accelerating the pace of personnel announcements for the incoming administration. The next governor still has several key positions remaining, including Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Natural Resources, Secretary of Human Services and Secretary of Aging.
Black Caucus elects leadership
The Maryland Legislative Caucus formally announced its newly elected executive committee on Friday.
Wilkins’ colleagues on the House floor gave her a standing ovation when House Speaker Adrian Jones (D-Baltimore County) allowed Wilkins to make the caucus announcement at the delegates’ meeting on Friday morning. rice field.
A member of the caucus’ executive committee is Rep. Melissa Wells (D., City of Baltimore), who will serve as the first vice-president. Del. Karen Toles (D-Prince George’s) as her second Vice Chair. Rep. Marlon Amplee, Democrat, City of Baltimore, will serve as treasurer. Senator Mary Washington (D-City of Baltimore) as Treasury Secretary. Rep. Jamila Woods (of D-Prince George) as secretary.
“we, [chamber] Also with our new executive director, Uhuoma Agarin,” said Wilkins.
Agarin previously served as Chief of Legislative Affairs for the City of Baltimore Senators, Election Day Coordinator for the Maryland Democratic Party, and Assistant to Baltimore City Councilman Daniel McCray (Democrat).
The caucus is scheduled to hold a press conference later this month to outline the black agenda for the 90-day legislative session.
MLK Day Fair Housing Event
Among the many worthy and inspiring events around Maryland related to Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, the Fair Housing Event held in Laurel on Sunday afternoon caught our eye. rice field.
Sponsored by Laurel City Councilman Martin Mitchell, the afternoon Fair Housing Symposium features panels on redlines, affordable housing, alternative housing, financial literacy, and more. A series of public officials will also speak, including Rep. Glenn Ivey (Democrat) of Ders State. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince Georges), Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery), Terry Hill (D-Howard), Mary Lehman (D-Prince Georges), Prince George County Councilman Crystal Oliada (Democrat), Montgomery County Councilors Will Jawand (D) and Kristin Mink (D), Anne Arundel County Councilor Pete Smith (Democrat), Baltimore City Councilman Phylicia Porter (Democrat), and other local government employees. Name.
Civil rights activists, representatives of consumer rights groups and financial institutions, and religious leaders also participate. The event will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm at his 24, 901 Montgomery Street, a local of heat and frost insulation and asbestos workers.