ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Manny Welsh as Principal Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Administrative Officer effective October 15. Welsh’s appointment is part of a reorganization led by incoming Chief of Staff Lester Davis, appointed by the Governor on September 8, and will also assume his role on October 15.
“Manny is a proven public servant with a deep well of expertise in the operations of government that’s vital to guiding Maryland through this unprecedented time,” says Gov. Moore. “This moment is generationally defining for our state. We have a solid foundation to grow from as we diversify our economy to become less reliant on the federal government, but as that relationship changes we need to ensure Marylanders continue to receive a high level of service from their state government. His new leadership role will help ensure our agencies do just that.”
As Principal Deputy Chief of Staff, Welsh will serve as second-in-command within the Governor’s Office in support of the Chief of Staff. As the Chief Administrative Officer, Welsh will oversee the day-to-day operations of the executive branch and work closely with the Governor's Cabinet and senior staff to ensure government agencies are functioning efficiently and successfully implementing gubernatorial priorities. Welsh will continue to provide oversight of the administration’s procurement operations and policy and the Board of Public Works.
Welsh has served as the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff since January 2024 and previously served as the Governor’s Board of Public Works Executive from January 2023-April 2025. Prior to joining the Moore-Miller Administration, Welsh held senior roles for the Comptroller of Maryland from 2015-2023, including chief of staff to the Comptroller from 2020-2023. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Towson University.
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