Governor Wes Moore announced leadership transitions in the Cabinet on November 6, 2026. Secretary of State Susan C. Lee, Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services Carolyn J. Scruggs, and Secretary of Veterans and Military Families Edward C. Rothstein will depart from their roles, with interim successors appointed for each position.

Michael Lore will serve as Interim Secretary of State, David C. Greene will serve as Interim Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and James “Jimmy” Anderson will serve as Acting Secretary of Veterans and Military Families, all effective November 6.

Press Release: Office of the Governor of Maryland

Published November 6, 2026. Reproduced in full from the Office of the Governor of Maryland.

Governor Moore Announces Cabinet Leadership Transitions

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

  • Secretary of State Susan C. Lee will depart from her role for personal matters after 24 years of service as a cabinet member and as a state legislator. Deputy Secretary Michael Lore will serve as Interim Secretary of State, effective November 6, while a search for a permanent replacement will get underway.
  • Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services Carolyn J. Scruggs will transition from her role as secretary after more than three decades of service to the Department and the State of Maryland. Deputy Secretary of Operations David C. Greene will serve as Interim Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, effective November 6, while a search for a permanent replacement will get underway.
  • Secretary of Veterans and Military Families Edward C. Rothstein will conclude his service as the Department’s secretary after joining the Administration in August 2025. Deputy Secretary James “Jimmy” Anderson will serve as Acting Secretary of Veterans and Military Families, effective November 6.

“Secretary Susan Lee, Secretary Carolyn Scruggs, and Secretary Ed Rothstein have devoted decades of faithful and exemplary service to the people of Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Our state has greatly benefited from their leadership, expertise, and service in the Cabinet, and I thank them for raising their hands to serve and leading these critical departments during these historically challenging times.”

Michael Lore, Esq. has served as Deputy Secretary of State since January 2023. Prior to joining the Office of the Secretary of State, Lore served as chief of staff to then-Senator Susan C. Lee in the Maryland General Assembly, and worked in the offices of former Senator Norman R. Stone, Jr. and former Senator Jamie Raskin. Lore also served as an interim speechwriter and researcher for Congressman Jamie Raskin during the 116th Congress. Lore holds a J.D. from the American University Washington College School of Law, and a B.A. in economics and international affairs from the University of Colorado. He is a member of the Maryland Bar.

David C. Greene has served Deputy Secretary for Operations for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services since January 2026, after more than 20 years of leadership and management roles within the Department. As Deputy Secretary for Operations, Greene has operational oversight of facility maintenance and operations, security, special operations, staffing analysis and overtime monitoring, and fixed asset and fleet management. Most recently, Greene helmed the Department’s successful rollout of body-worn cameras across 18 facilities. He began his career with the Department as a Case Management Specialist at the former Brockbridge Correctional Facility in January 2006. Throughout his more than two decades of service to the Department, he served in a number of progressive leadership roles including the Chief of Case Management, Director of Case Management, Warden, and Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services. Greene graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Criminal Justice.

James “Jimmy” Anderson has served as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans and Military Families since November 2025. Anderson held leadership roles during the Biden-Harris Administration in service to veterans and military families across the United States, including Senior Advisor for Veterans and Military Engagement in The White House, Special Advisor and Deputy White House Liaison for Secretary Denis McDonough at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Anderson began his Air Force career as an enlisted Airman in aircraft maintenance before commissioning as an Intelligence Officer. Over more than 15 years in uniform on active duty and in the reserve, he has served in tactical, operational, and staff roles across the Air Force Intelligence enterprise. Anderson’s academic background includes selection as a Fulbright Scholar to Canada and service as a Visiting Fellow with the Centre for International and Defence Policy. He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has held fellowships with the Center for a New American Security and the Truman National Security Project. He holds degrees from Queen’s University, American University, and the University of South Carolina, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.