Brown selects three women for top positions in the attorney general’s office

Attorney General-elect Anthony Brown (D) on Monday appointed three women to head his leadership team — two of whom are already working in the attorney general’s office.

Brown, a current member of Congress who will be sworn in as attorney general on Jan. 3, said Candace McLaren Lanham will be appointed chief deputy attorney general — but will serve with the title of chief of staff until she gains admission to the Maryland bar. Carolyn Quattrocki, who currently serves as deputy attorney general under outgoing Attorney General Brian Frosh (D), will continue in that role. And Zenita Wickham Hurley will be appointed chief of the newly-created Office of Equity, Policy, and Engagement.

“The people of Maryland will be well-served by the experiences and talents reflected in the senior leadership team that I’m announcing today,” Brown said in a lengthy statement. “Ms. McLaren Lanham brings a diverse wealth of experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions, civil enforcement, and administrative compliance, and she brings a proven set of organizational management skills that will enhance the work of the OAG.

“Ms. Quattrocki understands the strengths and current capabilities of the OAG and her broad experience across State government will ensure that we provide the best representation to the clients. Ms. Hurley’s career has focused extensively on issues of fairness and justice, particularly for underserved and overburdened communities, and her focus on issues of equity will enable the OAG to fulfill its responsibility to protect the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of all Marylanders.”

McLaren Lanham most recently served as a litigation partner at the Washington, D.C., office of the firm Saul Ewing LLP, where she conducted investigations and handled litigation into alleged violations of Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, and the Clery Act on behalf of colleges, universities, independent K-12 schools, and other entities. She also worked with clients to create and implement policies and programs designed to reduce and address sexual harassment, sexual abuse and racial discrimination claims and conducted compliance audits and training.

Prior to joining Saul Ewing, worked at the U.S. Department of Education and also served as the assistant vice president of Investigative Services for New York University’s Department of Public Safety where she conducted, directed, and supervised investigations into allegations of criminal conduct involving NYU students, staff, and faculty.  From 2007-2014, she served as the director of the Office of Special Investigations at the New York City Department of Education where she led the restructuring and expansion of the office.

Quattrocki has served as Frosh’s deputy since 2016. Prior to her appointment, she was the executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange and also served as the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform and deputy legislative officer in the O’Malley-Brown administration.

Quattrocki worked as a special assistant to former Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. (D), and as an assistant attorney general in the Civil Litigation Division. Prior to her tenure in the attorney general’s office, she was a litigation associate at the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C., and a law clerk for Frank Kaufman, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Maryland.

Hurley has served as chief counsel for Civil Rights in the Office of the Attorney General since 2017 and previously worked in the office as head of Legislative Affairs. She currently serves as chair of the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee and represents the attorney general on the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission and the Correctional Training Commission.

In 2019, Hurley helped advance legislation creating the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and in 2020, Hurley secured over $800,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund the office’s work combatting hate crimes. Prior to joining the attorney general’s office, Hurley served as special secretary of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the director of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise at the Maryland Department of Transportation.

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