Governor Moore Appoints Dyana Forester as Senior Director of Labor Relations

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Dyana Forester as Senior Director of Labor Relations for the Moore-Miller Administration. In her new role, Forester will represent the governor in labor relations activities within the executive branch, working in close collaboration with the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, the Maryland Department of Labor, and exclusive representatives of the state’s bargaining unit employees. She will direct various collective bargaining activities, including negotiations and labor-management initiatives, and will advise the governor on labor relations matters affecting Maryland's workforce.

"Dyana has served on the front lines of the labor movement for decades. I am grateful that she has chosen to continue that work in our administration," said Gov. Wes Moore. "If we want to be Maryland Strong, we need to be Union Strong. Dyana recognizes that vision, and she will work with us to make it a reality. She is, hands-down, the right person for the job."

Forester will assume her new role on Jan. 10.

Prior to joining the Moore-Miller Administration, Forester served as president of the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council, AFL-CIO, beginning in 2020. She is a distinguished leader with nearly 20 years of diverse experience organizing workers and communities, leading legislative and political campaigns, and serving as an elected official.

Forester assisted the affiliates of the council in securing worker protection throughout the pandemic and aided public sector unions in securing contracts. She also served as the director of political and community affairs for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400, led efforts to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and worked to expand paid sick days to private sector workers.

In addition to union organizing, she works in her community to lead coalitions that pursue Community Benefits Agreements for responsible economic development and improve the quality of education in underserved communities. Forester has also been appointed to executive committees throughout the region, in addition to being elected to serve two terms as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and a delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention.