The Maryland Department of Aging is committed to making Maryland an attractive location for all older adults and their families through vibrant communities and services that support healthy, financially secure, socially connected, and purposeful lives. The Department establishes priorities and advocates for older people across the state, formulating policy recommendations based on the needs of the growing and increasingly diverse aging population. The Department works as a convener, collaborator, and catalyst for bold initiatives across multiple sectors in an effort to build a longevity-ready Maryland and a long-term road map for aging.
Carmel Roques
Secretary
https://aging.maryland.gov
Secretary Carmel Roques is a visionary leader dedicated to improving the lives of older Marylanders and their families. An accomplished healthcare executive of more than 30 years, she has led and transformed non-profit organizations while building strong cultures of service excellence and innovation. Her expertise in dementia, palliative care, strategic planning, organizational development, and community health will inform her multi-sector collaborative approach to planning and preparing for healthy longer lives in Maryland.
As President and CEO of the Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore, a 138-year-old not-for-profit community healthcare provider, her decade-long leadership included the COVID-19 pandemic. She spearheaded an essential emergency response infrastructure. She created Keswick’s Wise & Well Center for Healthy Living, for older adults to pursue health and well-being goals.
Before Keswick, Secretary Roques was COO for Virginia United Methodist Homes. For twelve years, she worked at the Episcopal Ministries to the Aging in Eldersburg, Maryland, culminating in the role of COO. Her earliest career credits include directing an adult day care and homecare services for Catholic Charities in Baltimore.
Secretary Roques has a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland, California.