Gov. Moore Announces Maryland Department Of Human Services Leadership Transition

NOTE: The Office of the Governor shared the following press release:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Wes Moore today announced a leadership transition within the Maryland Department of Human Services. Secretary Rafael López will conclude his tenure as secretary effective Feb. 23. Deputy Secretary Gloria Brown Burnett will serve as interim secretary until April 1, where after former Baltimore County Administrative Officer Stacy L. Rodgers will begin as acting secretary and serve until the search to fill the cabinet post is complete.

“I am grateful for Secretary López’s leadership—especially during one of the most challenging times in the history of our state,” said Gov. Moore. “Secretary López built a more solid foundation for service, and together we will continue to build upon that progress.”

Under Secretary López’s leadership, the Maryland Department of Human Services made monumental strides in service of vulnerable Marylanders. Through improved data sharing and family engagement, the department helped promote better outcomes for youth in foster care by increasing kinship care placement by 30%. Secretary López also promoted better stewardship of taxpayer dollars by decreasing Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payment error rate from nearly 36%—second-highest in the nation in 2023—to 13.64%.

Under the secretary’s leadership, the department also saw record service and investment in ending child poverty and child hunger through Maryland SUN Bucks, which provided more than $75.5 million in federal summer nutrition benefits to more than 630,000 students in the summer of 2025, and more than $71 million in summer of 2024. Secretary López was also instrumental in implementing the Maryland One Benefits Application, which offers more efficient and secure access to critical benefits like SNAP and Medicaid.

“Though I am resigning my post as secretary for health-related reasons, I will always be invested in making sure that our people have access to the services and support they need to thrive,” said Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López. “It has been an honor to serve in the Moore-Miller Administration and I am immensely proud of the progress we have made in service to Marylanders.”

Stacy L. Rodgers has served for more than 30 years in federal, state, and local government agencies and non-profit organizations. As Baltimore Co​unty administrative officer, Rodgers directed the government’s day-to-day operations and helped implement the county’s heralded response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was a driving force in modernizing county operations, enhancing the annual budget development process, and implementing efforts to improve equitable and data-driven decision-making. She was also the first African American to serve as administrative officer for Baltimore County.

Prior to joining Baltimore County government, Rodgers was the director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services—the largest of the Maryland Department of Human Services local departments, serving more than 245,000 individuals and families annually. During the Obama Administration, Rodgers also served in leadership roles at the Social Security Administration, including senior advisor to the deputy commissioner and as the agency’s chief of staff, providing oversight for day-to-day operations for more than 64,0000 employees—including 1,400 field and hearing offices nationwide—and the agency’s $12 billion operating budget.

Rodgers also served as deputy director for program operations at the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency, as well as in a variety of roles at the Maryland Department of Human Resources. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County; her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore; and an executive leadership fellow certificate from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

“I thank Governor Moore for the opportunity to serve as acting secretary. I am deeply honored to bring my skills, expertise and passion for excellence in public service and government operations to serve the people of Maryland,” said Stacy L. Rodgers. “The Maryland Department of Human Services helps the people who need it most and our mission is more important now than ever before. I look forward to continuing our progress.”