Maryland Department of Human Services Leadership
Rafael López, Secretary
Appointed by Governor Wes Moore and confirmed by the Maryland Senate, Rafael López serves as the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Human Services. He joined the Moore-Miller Administration from the United States Department of Health and Human Services where he most recently served as a Senior Advisor to the Administration for Children and Families. In the Biden-Harris Administration, López helped reunite more than 170,000 unaccompanied children with their families or other vetted sponsors at the height of the largest surge of unaccompanied children in U.S. history. He is recognized as a national leader in human services and for leading complex organizations across sectors to improve the lives of children, families, and communities.
Carnitra White, Principal Deputy Secretary
Overseeing our agency’s Social Services, Family Investment, and Child Support Administrations, Carnitra also serves as the primary contact for our local Departments of Social Services. A lifelong public servant and Casey Fellow, Carnitra began her career as a purchase-of-care worker at the Baltimore City DSS. She has served the State of Maryland and the Department of Human Services in a variety of significant leadership roles including as Anne Arundel DSS Director, former Acting Deputy Secretary, and former Executive Director of our Social Services Administration, she is a proud product of Baltimore City public schools and a hall of fame graduate of Baltimore City College. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Carnitra went on to earn her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Social Work.
Daniel Wait, Deputy Secretary for Talent and Customer Service
Daniel has served at DHS since 2009. He most recently led as Deputy Secretary of Operations and prior to that, Director of Human Resources Training & Development (HRDT). His portfolio encompasses multiple facets of managerial oversight ranging from HRDT, the DHS Learning Office, Constituent Services, and Department-wide oversight of the customer service experience. Daniel’s capacity for learning and improving programs within DHS makes his transition an excellent choice for the Department. Daniel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Albany.
Gloria Brown Burnett, Deputy Secretary of Operations
At DHS, Gloria is responsible for a portfolio that includes information technology, contracting and procurement, and general administrative services. She previously served for more than 14 years as the director of the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services. Gloria was born and raised in Mount Clemens, Michigan and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Fisk University, a Master of Science in Management from the University of Maryland University College and an Executive Education Certificate for Senior Managers in Government from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. She is also a member of both the 2011 Cohort of Leadership Greater Washington and The Prince George’s Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Heather Zenone, Assistant Secretary for Policy
Heather Zenone brings more than 20 years of national, state, and tribal experience leading efforts to advance reforms in child well-being, juvenile justice, anti-trafficking, migrant child and family welfare, behavioral health, and Medicaid. She served in the Indian Child Welfare Program of Casey Family Programs on special assignment as a Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and as Senior Advisor to Representative Karen Bass in the U.S. House of Representatives leading child welfare legislation for systemic transformation. A champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion, Heather aged out of foster care and is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and the University of California Berkeley School of Law. As Assistant Secretary for Policy, Heather guides the vision and strategy for the Department’s policy at the direction of the Secretary. She leads a team that includes policy, government affairs, and grants expertise taking a holistic approach to achieving the Department’s goals. The team works collaboratively with the operational and programmatic units of the Department to identify the best ways to achieve better results for Marylanders using a combination of legislation, regulation, policy research and analysis, and external grant funding.
Webster Ye, Chief of Staff
Webster Ye most recently served as Assistant Secretary for Health Policy at the Maryland Department of Health, where he developed and led health policy across 40 departmental units for federal, state, and local legislative and governmental affairs. Webster has extensive experience managing a myriad of public health services and leading organizations in a way that reflects the urgency and responsiveness we will model. Webster holds a Juris Doctorate from George Mason University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College.
Scheduling Requests for the Secretary of the Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services Office of the Secretary and the DHS Executive Leadership Team values community engagement and strives to accommodate requests to meet or attend events in support of new and established partners, service providers and businesses across the state.
Please complete this form to request the DHS Secretary or a member of the department’s executive leadership team attend your upcoming event or meeting. A member of the Secretary’s office will review your request and contact you within 2 business days. Submitting a request does not guarantee that it will be fulfilled.