Lt. Gov Aruna Miller (left); Acting Secretary Paul Monteiro (center); Governor Wes Moore (right) Photo Source
Governor Wes Moore has named Paul Monteiro to oversee the state’s newest department — the Department of Service and Civic Innovation — a priority initiative of Moore’s created by executive order on his first day in office.
As announced in a press release:
“Paul’s nomination is the result of a months-long, nationwide search to find someone with the vision, the experience, the integrity, and the skill to unleash the full potential of this new department.” said Governor Moore. “Service breaks down differences creating uncommon bonds. With Paul’s leadership, this first of its kind department will inspire our youth to dream bigger while giving back to Maryland.”
Acting Secretary Monteiro’s brief bio:
Paul Monteiro, Acting Secretary of Department of Service and Civic Engagement
Paul Monteiro served as the Director of the United States Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS). Monteiro returned to CRS after serving as chief of staff to the president and assistant vice president of external affairs at Howard University.
Monteiro previously served as the CRS Acting Director from December 2015 to January 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw CRS’s work supporting communities as they worked to reduce tensions and to prevent and respond to bias incidents and hate crimes.
In 2014, before first joining CRS, President Barack Obama appointed Monteiro as national director of AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), the federal anti-poverty program established in 1965 as the domestic counterpart to the Peace Corps.
Previously, Monteiro joined the White House staff as an associate director in the Office of Public Engagement after serving on Senator Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign as the deputy director for religious affairs. In that role, he worked on President Obama’s Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Initiative, the My Brother’s Keeper mentorship program for young men, and as a liaison to religious and secular belief communities as well as ethnic groups, including Arab American and Afghan American groups.
Monteiro also served as an at-large member of the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Public Schools Board of Education. He holds a B.A. in history from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law.
Read the Governor’s full press release to learn more.
