MARYLAND (WBFF) — Leadership changes are coming to Maryland’s environmental and emergency management agencies as two Cabinet secretaries prepare to step down after long public service careers.
Gov. Wes Moore announced that Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain will leave her position on Dec. 31 after 39 years in federal and state environmental agencies. Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz will take over as Acting Secretary starting Jan. 1, 2027. The governor said he will nominate Ortiz for permanent confirmation during the 2027 legislative session.
“Secretary McIlwain has dedicated decades of her life to public service, and her contributions will ensure that we leave our young Marylanders with more sustainable, equitable and healthy communities than the ones we inherited,” Gov. Moore said. He added, “I have deep respect for her commitment to our State, and I know Adam Ortiz will leverage his years of service at environmental protection agencies across every level of government to carry the Department’s mission forward and safeguard the people and natural landscapes that make Maryland extraordinary.”
During her four-year tenure leading the Maryland Department of the Environment, McIlwain helped clear a backlog of hundreds of permit applications by modernizing the state’s permitting process. She also supported the creation of new advocacy programs such as the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Council to help communities affected by climate change.
The secretary of emergency management, Russell Strickland, will retire on Dec. 8 after a 50-year career in public safety for Maryland residents. Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard will become Acting Secretary on Dec. 9, and government officials said his nomination for permanent leadership will also go before the state Senate next year.
Gov. Moore reflected on Strickland’s lengthy career, saying, “Secretary Strickland’s extraordinary career of more than half a century in public service has shaped a safer, more resilient Maryland. From his steadfast leadership through unprecedented crises to his pioneering work supporting disaster survivors, Russ has set the gold standard for emergency management.” Moore said that Dr. Stoddard is “a proven leader with an exceptional background in emergency management and public health.”
Strickland has led the Department of Emergency Management since 2015, originally as the director of what was formerly known as the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. He became its first cabinet secretary in 2022 and was reappointed by Gov. Moore in 2023. During his time in the role, the department coordinated the emergency response to events like the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and assisted with recovery in Westernport after flooding in May 2025.
Ortiz’s past positions have included serving as regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mid-Atlantic region, leading environmental departments for Montgomery County and Prince George’s County and working in senior roles in previous state administrations. Ortiz was also mayor of Edmonston for three terms.
Dr. Stoddard previously led Montgomery County’s emergency management office and worked in public health preparedness, as well as at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security. He holds degrees from the University of Delaware, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
WBFF will continue to follow these transitions as the state prepares for new leadership in its environmental and emergency management departments.
This post was originally published on Fox 45 by Sinclair Media Group.
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