The first meeting of the task force was held on Tuesday, August 22nd from 10:00am - 11:30am virtual via Microsoft Teams. The meetings are held virtually every other week through November. Meeting recordings and materials will be posted on the Department of Budget and Management's (DBM) website. If you require meeting captions for accessibility purposes, you can add captions by choosing "More options" in the right hand corner of the meeting, language and speech, turn on live captions.
Task Force Charge
In the 2023 Joint Chairmen’s Report (JCR), the budget committees of the Maryland General Assembly expressed intent that the Department of Budget and Management convene a task force to evaluate opportunities to modernize and improve recruitment, hiring and retention in the State Personnel Management System. The committees identified the following topics specifically for the task force to review:
- The approval process for agencies to begin hiring for a position;
- The length of time between stages of the hiring process;
- The requirements for selection to an interview;
- Degree requirements; and
- Any other impediments to the State hiring process.
The committees also suggested the task force consider the following improvements:
- Proactive recruitment strategies, including in high schools and in cooperation with workforce agency career counselors;
- Rewriting position titles and job descriptions to be more attractive to potential applicants;
- Continuous posting of appropriate positions;
- Streamlining the hiring process to reduce the time from application to hiring;
- Expanding career ladders, beginning with a low experience level and integrating on-the-job and classroom training;
- Sponsorship of registered apprenticeships;
- Focusing applicant requirements on relevant skills rather than degrees; and
- Other improvements identified by task force members.
In response to the topics specified by the JCR narrative, task force meetings will cover the following broad topics:
(1) statutory changes to simplify and streamline the hiring process;
(2) recruitment strategies;
(3) methods to increase job attractiveness; and
(4) entry-level pathways and degree requirements.
DBM will submit a report on the task force’s findings and recommendations to the budget committees by January 2, 2024.
Members and Staff
State Agency Representatives
- Tisha Edwards, Secretary, Governor’s Appointments Office (GAO), Chair
- Serena McIlwain, Secretary, Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), Member
- Dianna Rosborough, Assistant Secretary of Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Member
- Cindy Kollner, Executive Director, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Office of Personnel Services and Benefits (OPSB), Member
- Erin McMullen, Chief of Staff, Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Member
- Rianna Matthews-Brown, Chief of Staff, Comptroller of Maryland, Member
- Aaron Jacobs, Human Resources (HR) Director, Maryland Department of Labor (Labor), Member
- Gwen Schindler, HR Director, Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), Member
- Tara Nelson, HR Director, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), Member
Collective Bargaining Unit Representatives
- Denise Gilmore, Legislative Director, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 3, Member
- Jerry Smith, President, Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC), Member
- Rosemary Wertz, Field Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – Healthcare, Member
Private Sector representative
- Joel Martinez, Human Resources Director, Amazon
- Kimberly Prescott, President, Prescott HR, Inc.
Staff
- Raquel Coombs, Chief of Staff, DBM
- Laura Vykol-Gray, Manager, Legislative Affairs and Special Projects Unit, DBM OPSB
- Max Pierce, Administrator, Legislative Affairs and Special Projects Unit, DBM OPSB
For questions or concerns related to the Task Force, please email
SPMS.taskforce@marylandgov.
