Tenure

First elected to the Maryland Senate in 2018. Member of the Senate since January 9, 2019 Member of the Maryland House of Delegates 1999 to 2015.

Current Assignments

2020 President Pro Tem

2019 Budget and Taxation Committee

2020 Chair, Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the Budget and Taxation Committee

2020 Capital Budget Subcommittee of the Budget and Taxation Committee

2019 Pensions Subcommittee of the Budget and Taxation Committee (Chair, 2019)

2019 Executive Nominations Committee

2020 Legislative Policy Committee

2019 Joint Committee on Pensions ( Senate Chair, 2019)

2019 Spending Affordability Committee

2019 Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics

2020 Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families

2021 Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission

2019 Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

2019 Women Legislators of Maryland

2019 Maryland Veterans Caucus

Past Senate Service

Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, 2022; Education, Business, and Administration Subcommittee of the Budget and Taxation Committee, 2019-2020; Senate Chair, Special Joint Legislative Committee to Select the State Treasurer, 2021; Joint Covid Response Workgroup, 2020; Marijuana Legalization Work Group, 2019.

Public Service

Procurement Improvement Council, 2021-; Council for the Procurement of Health, Educational, and Social Services, 2020-; Task Force on Reconciliation and Equity, Morgan State University, 2020-.

Awards

Legislator of the Year, AARP, 2021; Arts Service Award, CAPPA Performing Arts, 2021; Senator of the Year, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 2020; Legislator of the Year, The ARC, 2020; Airmen and Family Appreciation Award, Andrews Business and Community Alliance, and Business Roundtable, 2019; Go To Bat Award, District Heights Family and Youth Services Bureau, 2019; Inabel Burns Lindsay Social Work Education Leadership Award, Howard University School of Social Work, 2018.

Biographical Information

Born, Abilene, Texas, June 5, 1963; Charles M. Russell High School, Great Falls, Montana; Eastern Montana College, B.S. Psychology, Criminology, and Rehabilitation, 1985; Howard University, M.S.W. , 1987; Project Coordinator, National Basketball Players Association Health Education Project, The Johns Hopkins University, 1992-1993; Senior Program Officer, Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC, 1998-2004; Director, Center for Healthy Lifestyle Initiatives, Prince George's County Health Department, 2005-2009; Vice President for Governmental and External Affairs, Greater Baden Medical Services, 2009-2018; Clinical Social Worker, Public Health Specialist and Workshop Facilitator; Deputy Director, Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, 2016-2021; Two children.