Legislative Leaders Name Members to Committee That Will Vet Treasurer Applicants

The process to select a new state treasurer is underway.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) announced the formation of a special joint legislative committee on Wednesday, which will accept applications and interview potential candidates for treasurer.

Long-time Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D), a trailblazing Maryland politician, announced her retirement from the post after 20 years last month.

Senate President Pro Tem Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince George’s) and House Speaker Pro Tem Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Lower Shore) will serve as co-chairs of the committee.

Maryland law requires the General Assembly to appoint a committee to interview potential candidates for the position. The open position will be posted in publications across the state next week; applications will be due Nov. 19.

The General Assembly is expected to choose a new treasurer during a special session in early December, when lawmakers will also adopt a new congressional district map.

In a news release announcing the formation of the committee, legislative leaders lauded Kopp for protecting the state’s triple-A bond rating for more than two decades, reforming the pension system, and modernizing Maryland’s 529 college savings program.

“Treasurer Kopp has been a tremendous public servant to the State, diligently protecting Maryland’s fiscal health while navigating multiple crises,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I am confident that President Pro Tem Griffith and the other Special Joint Legislative Committee members will carefully review interested applicants and identify a qualified individual who will safeguard the short and long-term financial framework of Maryland.”

Jones said Kopp “has been an outsized figure in Maryland politics for decades and a national leader on state finances.”

“I look forward to a robust interview process to ensure that we find the right person to safeguard our State treasury and pension system for years to come,” her statement concluded.

House Economic Matters Chair Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s) has announced his intention to apply and is considered an early favorite for the post, which is selected by a joint vote of the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates. It remains to be seen whether other well-known public officials apply for the job.

Also named to the special joint committee on Wednesday were: Senators Guy J. Guzzone (D-Howard), Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel), and Edward R. Reilly (R-Anne Arundel), and Delegates Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), Mark S. Chang (D-Anne Arundel), Jason C. Buckel (R-Allegany) and Jefferson L. Ghrist (R-Upper Shore).

The state treasurer is responsible for managing and disbursing state funds, and is the custodian of all stocks, bonds, and other investments of the state. The treasurer also serves with the governor and the comptroller on the Board of Public Works, which oversees state contracting.

To be considered for the position, applicants should submit a resume or statement of work experience to Marcia Alvarado, Committee Staff, Special Joint Legislative Committee to Select the State Treasurer, Department of Legislative Services, 90 State Circle, Room 200, Annapolis, MD 21401, by 5 p.m. on Nov. 19.

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