Department of Service and Civic Innovation
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The Department of Service and Civic Innovation was established by the Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration (SERVE) Act of 2023 with the purpose of promoting service and volunteerism in the state of Maryland. The SERVE Act also launched two new exciting service pathways for eligible youth and adults, in addition to existing volunteer and service opportunities available through the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism and Volunteer Maryland.
Jonny Dorsey
Acting Secretary
https://dsci.maryland.gov
Jonny Dorsey is the Acting Secretary of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation and Senior Advisor to Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Moore from 2023 to 2025. Prior to joining the Moore-Miller Administration, Mr. Dorsey was Director of Innovation and Policy at Emerson Collective, where he focused on democracy, civic engagement, government delivery, and national service. He served as Policy Director for Mike Johnston's campaigns for Governor and Senate in Colorado. Earlier in his career, he was a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration, placed at the Department of Education, where he worked on special projects and strategic partnerships in the Secretary’s Office.
A serial social entrepreneur, Mr. Dorsey co-founded Global Health Corps, which recruits and places emerging global leaders with high-impact nonprofits to build health systems worldwide, and FACE AIDS, a nonprofit that mobilized students in the fight for global health equity, which was acquired by Partners In Health.
Mr. Dorsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University, where he served as President of the Student Body and won the Deans’ Award for Academic Achievement. He also earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Zuckerman Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership.