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Governing Board Members

The MLDS Center is overseen by a 15 member Governing Board. The Governing Board provides general oversight and direction of the Center including: approving the budget plan; establishing policies; creating and updating the Research Agenda; approving the Data Inventory; and approving External Researcher and Grant Funded Projects.

The membership of the Governing Board includes ten members designated by statute, including: Secretary of Higher Education; State Superintendent of Schools; Secretary of Labor; Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services; Secretary of the Department of Human Services; Chancellor of the University System of Maryland; Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges; President of the Maryland Independent Colleges and Universities Association; and President of Morgan State University. The remaining five members are appointed by the Governor. One of the Governor’s appointees must be a representative of local superintendents of schools; another must have expertise in large data systems and data security; and one must be the executive director of one of the health occupation boards under the Maryland Department of Health.

The fifteen members are:

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1. Portia Wu, Secretary, Maryland Department of Labor and MLDS Center Board Chair
2. Carey M. Wright Ed.D., State Superintendent of Schools
3. Sanjay Rai, Ph.D., Secretary, Maryland Higher Education Commission
4. Jay A. Perman, MD., Chancellor of the University System of Maryland
5. David Wilson, Ed.D., President of Morgan State University
6. Vincent Schiraldi, Secretary, Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
7. Rafael López, Secretary, Maryland Department of Human Services
8. Brad Phillips, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges
9. Matthew Power, President of the Maryland Independent College and University Association
10. Jason Dykstra, Chief Accountability Officer, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
11. Laurie Kendall-Ellis, PT, CAE, Executive Director Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
12. Rudy D. Anthony
13. Hussainatu Blake, Education & Workforce Strategist, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
14. Susan Sterett, Director of the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
15. Vacant

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Governing Board Meeting Schedule

Pursuant to the Governing Board’s bylaws, the Board meets quarterly on the second Friday in March, June, September and December. The 2025 meeting schedule is as follows:

  • March 14, 2025
  • June 13, 2025
  • September 12, 2025
  • December 12, 2025

The Governing Board meets at 9 a.m. either in person or virtually. Please check the website prior to the meeting to find out whether the meeting will be in person or virtual (including the teleconference information).

Bylaws of the MLDS Governing Board

These bylaws, adopted by the members of the Governing Board, provide the rules of governance for the board during the conduct of all duties assigned under State law.