Governor Wes Moore announced leadership transitions in the Cabinet on November 12, 2026. Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain will conclude her tenure on December 31, 2026, while Secretary of Emergency Management Russell Strickland will retire on December 8, 2026. Adam Ortiz and Dr. Earl Stoddard will serve as Acting Secretaries for their respective departments starting January 1 and December 9, 2026.

Press Release: Office of the Governor of Maryland

Published November 12, 2026. Reproduced in full from the Office of the Governor of Maryland.

Governor Moore Announces Additional Cabinet Leadership Transitions

ANNAPOLIS, MD: Governor Wes Moore today announced the following leadership transitions in the Cabinet:

  • Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain will conclude her tenure as the Department’s secretary on December 31, following 39 years of public service in leadership roles across numerous state and federal environmental agencies. Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz will serve as Acting Secretary, effective January 1, 2027.
  • Secretary of Emergency Management Russell Strickland will retire from his role as the Department’s secretary on December 8, after a 50-year public safety career serving the residents of Maryland. Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard will serve as Acting Secretary, effective December 9.

Gov. Moore plans to submit nominations for both Ortiz and Stoddard to the Maryland State Senate for 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,” said Gov. Moore. “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 years as the head of the Maryland Department of Environment, Secretary McIlwain helped the agency modernize state permitting processes, clearing a backlog of hundreds of pending environmental permit applications. The Department also helped create new environmental advocacy programs like Maryland’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Council to develop strategies for aiding communities disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.

"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,” said Gov. Moore. “Dr. Earl Stoddard is a proven leader with an exceptional background in emergency management and public health. I am fully confident that his extensive experience and dedication to the people of Maryland will ensure MDEM continues to keep our communities ready for anything."

Secretary Strickland has led the Department of Emergency Management (formerly the Maryland Emergency Management Agency) since 2015. He was appointed the Department’s first Secretary in 2022 and reappointed by Governor Moore in 2023. Under Secretary Strickland’s tenure, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management coordinated the Moore-Miller Administration’s emergency response efforts to historic state disasters, including the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and provided state recovery support to residents of Westernport following historic flooding in May 2025.

Adam Ortiz currently serves as Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. He previously served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Mid-Atlantic Region (Region 3) and Director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. Ortiz has also led the Prince George's County Department of the Environment and served in senior leadership roles within Maryland state government, including the administration of Governor Martin O'Malley. He also served three terms as Mayor of the Town of Edmonston, Maryland. Ortiz graduated from Goucher College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Dr. Earl Stoddard, Ph.D. serves as Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland, where he helps oversee the operations and performance of one of the nation's largest county governments. Dr. Stoddard previously served as Director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS). Before leading OEMHS, Dr. Stoddard served as Program Administrator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response within the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Earlier in his career, he worked at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security. Dr. Stoddard holds a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from University of Delaware, a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.