ANNAPOLIS, MD – Today, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller announced additional members of her executive staff. The staff announced today join Chief of Staff Pokuaa "PK" Owusu-Acheaw, who was previously announced as Lieutenant Governor Miller's Chief of Staff.
Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller said, “This dynamic group of immensely talented individuals bring a wide diversity of professional and lived experience to their roles. Their service and hard work will be essential in helping Governor Moore and I fulfill our commitment to building a state where no Marylander is left behind."
Michael (Mike) Thomas, Policy Director: Mike is a lifelong Marylander, having previously served for more than 12 years with Maryland Congressional Delegation members in the U.S. House of Representatives and United States Senate as Special Assistant to former Representative Frank Kratovil and Appropriations Advisor for Senator Ben Cardin. In his most recent role for Senator Cardin, he coordinated statewide advocacy efforts to support Maryland funding priorities for state and local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses through annual appropriations and Congressional earmarks, as well as the Senator's education policy priorities. He is a graduate of McDaniel College.
Madeline (Maddy) Pawlak, Communications Director: Maddy is an experienced communicator who brings a variety of political campaign and committee experience to this role. They most recently served as Deputy Press Secretary for the Democratic Governors Association, where they played a role in the history-making victories of Democratic governors in the 2022 midterms. She has previously held communications roles on a number of political campaigns, including the presidential campaigns of President Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar. Maddy is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sandeep Boppana, Operations Director: Sandeep is a veteran of the technology sector, where he was involved with companies that specialize in the communications and collaboration space. With a background in software engineering, world languages, and humanities, he is excited to join an administration that is dedicated to making the wonders of STEM education and global literacy accessible to all Marylanders, especially students in grade school and community college. He is a graduate of Harvard University.
Ajayan (AJ) Williamson, Special Assistant: AJ comes to this role from the Moore-Miller campaign, where he served as an organizer in Montgomery County during the primary and general elections. Prior to this cycle, he served in a number of other organizing roles in local and national campaigns. He is a longtime resident of Montgomery County and of Lt. Governor Miller's own District 15. AJ is a proud graduate of Montgomery County Public Schools, and graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Political Economy and Computer Science.
Leah Woody, Special Assistant: Leah is a lifelong Prince Georgian who holds a B.A. in Political Science from St. Mary's College of Maryland and a M.A. in Human Rights and International Relations from the University of Roehampton in London, England. Most recently, Leah worked as the lead field organizer in Prince George's County for the Wes Moore for Maryland Campaign and Maryland Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign. Leah had the honor of introducing Governor Moore and Senator Chris Van Hollen at the final Get Out The Vote Rally hosted by President Biden. She currently serves on the Board of the Young Democrats of Maryland as the Chair of the Caucus of Color.