BALTIMORE (Jan. 13, 2023) — Today, Governor-Elect Wes Moore announced the appointment of Russell Strickland as the Secretary of Emergency Management, Carolyn Scruggs as the Secretary of Public Safety/Corrections, Harold “Bud” Frank as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Katie Savage as the Secretary of Information Technology —continuing his promise to ensure that the Moore Administration will have the most diverse cabinet in the history of Maryland. 

“Today, I’m proud to announce the addition of these incredibly experienced and diverse leaders,” said Governor-Elect Wes Moore. “I’ve said since the beginning that this will be our decade, Maryland, and I know these public servants are going to help us build the future we want to see here in Maryland.”

Russell Strickland, Secretary of Emergency Management

Secretary Russell Strickland will join the Moore-Miller Administration as a reappointment, he was initially appointed Secretary of Emergency Management for the State of Maryland in 2021 by Governor Larry Hogan. Previous to his appointment, Mr. Strickland served as Executive Director for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) since 2015 and successfully led the transition of the former MEMA to a Cabinet-level Department. Mr. Strickland has extensive experience in the fields of emergency management, fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, law enforcement, fire inspection, and fire investigation, as well as a wealth of knowledge in law, policy, and education related to the emergency management field. During his tenure as Executive Director of MEMA, Mr. Strickland directed operations during twelve states of emergency and seven presidentially declared major disasters. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Strickland served in the Harford County Government, managing the county’s department of Emergency Operations. Previous to Harford County, Mr. Strickland worked with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory after serving as Deputy Director of MEMA. In the academic world, Mr. Strickland has been an associate director and remains an adjunct faculty for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, the University Maryland University College, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Center for Health and Homeland Security. Mr. Strickland has previously served as a volunteer firefighter, as an EMT, as a patrol officer, a dispatcher, a fire investigator, and in many other roles all across the state in the emergency management field.

Carolyn Scruggs, Secretary of Public Safety/Corrections

Secretary Carolyn Scruggs was appointed as the Acting Secretary of Public Safety & Correctional Services for the State of Maryland by Governor Hogan, starting on January 1, 2023. She has 27+ years of experience in the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services, including leading several DPSCS facilities as Warden or Facility Administrator; serving as Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services; and serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Correction. She also played a vital role in developing both the statewide fingerprint and case management systems, as well as the award-winning Crisis De-Escalation Training.  On the corrections side, Ms. Scruggs has managed everything from booking to security, dietary to case management, and programs to facility maintenance. She pioneered the concept of large-scale reentry fairs and spearheaded the Department’s postsecondary education programs for the incarcerated. Starting as a correctional officer at Central Booking in 1995, Ms. Scruggs eventually became that facility’s warden, working on the development of critical public safety components along the way. In 2019, she assumed the role of COVID-19 Coordinator, guiding the Department’s efforts during the pandemic, and helping DPSCS to become a model for the nation for its large-scale vaccination, mitigation, and treatment efforts. Most recently, Ms. Scruggs has served as Assistant Secretary for Programs, Treatment, and Reentry, a post that oversees a wide array of services, including healthcare, education, and programming for the incarcerated. Ms. Scruggs is a graduate of Baltimore’s Western High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Towson University and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Coppin State University.

Harold “Bud” Frank, Deputy Chief of Staff Public Safety and Homeland Security

Bud Frank is joining the Moore-Miller administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety. Mr. Frank is an experienced senior manager with extensive experience in the security and emergency response field.  His twenty-eight-year career in law enforcement provides him with a background in crisis management, deployment of resources, knowledge of fiscal responsibility, and development of policies/procedures. He is experienced in leading training, exercises, human resources, procurement, and personnel.  He also has experience in protecting and securing Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources. Mr. Frank graduated from the Maryland State Police Training Academy and the Maryland State Police Command College. He served as a Maryland State Trooper, rising to the rank of Lieutenant, and Acting Commander over the course of his nearly three-decade career with the Maryland State Police. After retiring from law enforcement, Mr. Frank served in various security roles within the Maryland state government. First, he helped lead the Maryland Port Administration as Director of Security and then as Senior Advisor and Director of Homeland Security, Emergency Management, and Rail Safety in the Maryland Department of Transportation. In these roles, he gained extensive knowledge and experience coordinating law enforcement agencies in protection and response. In 2019, Governor Larry Hogan appointed Mr. Frank as the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator for the Maryland Department of State Police. In this role, Mr. Frank improved the state’s ability to communicate with all different types of emergency response providers across jurisdictional boundaries. Mr. Frank currently lives in Harford County, Maryland.

Katie Savage, Secretary of Information Technology 

Katie Savage is the leader of the Defense Digital Service of the Department of Defense, leading dozens of programmers, designers, engineers, and data scientists. Savage helped lead the DOD’s COVID-19 response, including the development of a mobile tracking application used by 200K+ personnel, cybersecurity measures to ensure safe vaccine manufacturing and delivery as part of Operation Warp speed, and the development of emergency communication software toolkit for critical officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She also developed a digital employment verification tool on behalf of the State Department and the Department of Defense to expedite visa applications for 100K+ Afghan refugees and families applying for U.S. asylum. Furthermore, she launched the digitization of the world’s most extensive collection of 50M+ human tissue samples at the Joint Pathology Center, leading to advanced AI/ML research treating cancer and other diseases. Before working at the DOD, Savage was Director of Operations & Services at the City Tech Collaborative for the city of Chicago, remaking essential city services with tech and digital solutions. She developed Smart Green Infrastructure monitoring software in Chicago, combining Microsoft and University of Illinois technology to decrease urban flooding by measuring water levels. She also led the City of Chicago’s Plan for Economic Growth & Jobs, developing initiatives ranging from small business support to major transit corridor revitalization. From 2008-2010, Savage served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi. In her roles at the Department of Defense and at City Tech, Savage has spoken about government and civic tech at forums around the world, including UN-Habitat in Brussels, the Business of Design Week in Hong Kong, Chicago Ideas Week in Chicago, and the Institute for Competitive Inner Cities in Cleveland. She was recognized in 2021 as Tech Champion of the Year and in 2022 as Best Boss in Federal IT by FedScoop, and in 2022 for Government Leadership by CyberScoop. Savage has a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from American University.

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Wes Moore is the Governor-Elect of the State of Maryland. He is a U.S. Army combat veteran who led soldiers in combat with the 82nd Airborne Division, a Rhodes Scholar, former small business owner, and former CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations. Learn more at www.wesmoore.com.