Politics
Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain to Resign at Year's End, Second Cabinet Exit This Week
Serena McIlwain, who has led Maryland's environmental agency since 2023, will step down at the end of the year, the second Cabinet departure announced this week as Gov. Wes Moore reshapes his administration ahead of a second term. Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz will serve as acting secretary.
Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain will resign at the end of the year, she announced Thursday, becoming the latest in a series of Cabinet departures as Gov. Wes Moore prepares for a second term.
McIlwain, who has led the Maryland Department of the Environment since shortly after Moore's inauguration in 2023, said in an email to staff that she would leave "after 38 rewarding years in public service and four incredible years serving as your Secretary."
"When I returned home to Maryland to lead this agency, my priority was to support and empower the dedicated professionals who protect our state's air, land, and water every single day," McIlwain wrote. "Thanks to your tireless efforts, we have accomplished extraordinary things."
Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz will step in as acting secretary on Jan. 1, McIlwain said. Ortiz previously served as a regional administrator for President Joe Biden's Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing the regional office for Maryland and four other states, plus the District of Columbia.
Also departing is Secretary of Emergency Management Russell Strickland, who will retire on Dec. 8. Moore announced he will appoint Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard to serve as acting secretary, beginning Dec. 9.
The moves come as Moore, a Democrat, reshapes his administration after winning a second term on Nov. 3. Since the election, the governor has announced a new chief of staff and changes to his Cabinet: Last week, the secretaries of State, Veterans and Military Affairs, and Public Safety and Correctional Services all departed and were replaced immediately by interim directors.
Additional changes are expected before the General Assembly reconvenes and Moore is sworn in for a second term in January. Such turnover between terms is not uncommon.
McIlwain's departure means the state's environmental agency will see a change in leadership as Maryland continues to grapple with major environmental challenges, including the long-running effort to address pollution flowing through the Conowingo Dam into the Chesapeake Bay. In 2025, the state announced a $340 million settlement with the dam's owner, a deal McIlwain's department helped negotiate.
Ortiz, who will take over the agency on an acting basis, brings federal experience to the role, having run the EPA's regional office that covers Maryland and several neighboring states.