ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan announced Chris Shank as the new chief legislative officer, replacing Joseph Getty, who was recently appointed to the Maryland Court of Appeals. Shank currently serves as a deputy chief of staff and will be replaced by Tiffany Robinson, an assistant secretary within the Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Chris has been a key advisor over the past 18 months and was the powerhouse behind the bipartisan Justice Reinvestment Act, one of our most important legislative accomplishments,” said Governor Hogan. “Chris has spent his entire career fighting for Marylanders and I have every confidence that he will continue to be very successful in his new role.”
Shank joined the Hogan Administration in January 2015. Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the Maryland General Assembly, serving Washington County as a delegate from 1999 to 2011 and as a senator from 2011 to 2015. During that time, he served as Minority Whip and a member of several committees including the Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services, Special Joint Commission on Public Safety and Security in State and Local Correctional Facilities, and the Governor’s Commission to Reform Maryland’s Pretrial System. In his new role, Shank will continue to actively manage the Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council and advise the governor on matters of public safety.
“I am both honored and humbled by the confidence Governor Hogan continues to have in me,” said Shank. “As my mentor, I both respect and admire Senator Getty, and while I know I have big shoes to fill, I look forward to the opportunity to build upon the progress we’ve made to move our state forward.”
As assistant secretary in the Department of Housing and Community Development, Robinson is responsible for administering several programs including multifamily housing, single family house, housing and building energy, Neighborhood BusinessWorks, and the local government infrastructure programs. As director of the Community Development Administration (CDA), the designated housing finance agency for the state of Maryland, she leads the single largest division within the department.
Prior to her current position, Robinson served as the administrator of the Harford County Department of Housing and Community Development from 2010 to 2015. She received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
“Tiffany has a proven track record of success and commitment to service as an attorney in the private sector, as well as in county and state government,” said Governor Hogan. “Her professional experiences have given her an incredibly solid foundation, and I look forward to working with her as we continue to make Maryland a better place to live and work.”
“I am truly honored to accept this opportunity to serve Governor Hogan and the state of Maryland,” said Robinson. “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Secretary Holt and the CDA team at the Department of Housing and Community Development, and I look forward to the challenge of working with additional agencies to help change Maryland for the better.”
Both positions take effect Monday, June 27th.