Governor Larry Hogan will appoint the next secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, Horacio Tablada.
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will have Horacio Tablada as its next secretary effective June 1. Tablada is currently the deputy secretary. Tablada has more than 30 years of experience as an environmental leader for Maryland. His accomplishments include environmental oversight of Sparrows Point’s former steel mill site and the state’s highly successful program to reduce childhood lead poisoning. Tablada has presented many MACo events. She is a trusted resource. He succeeds Secretary Ben Grumbles who was appointed executive director of The Environmental Council of the States.
Born in Nicaragua in 1985, Deputy Secretary Tablada served as a technical and management representative in state environmental regulatory programs. Before being appointed deputy secretary in 2015 he was director of the Department of the Environments Land Management Administration, where he oversaw brownfield redevelopment of ex-industrial sites, waste diversion, fuel facilities, and lead poisoning prevention.
According to the Press release:
Governor Hogan said that Horacio Tablada has dedicated his career to serving the public, protecting the environment, and public health. He will be responsible for MDE’s ongoing work to restore and protect the environment, including the Chesapeake Bay. He will also help boost employment and the economy by redeveloping brownfields safely.
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Deputy Secretary Tablada said that Governor Hogan gave me his confidence and that he was appointed secretary of the Department of the Environment. I look forward to serving Maryland’s citizens and continuing to push science-based policies which have resulted a cleaner Chesapeake Bay and sustainable and restored properties, as well as protection of our children against lead poisoning.
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Secretary Grumbles stated that it was the honor of a lifetime serving in the Hogan administration. They worked for bold, bipartisan environmental solutions. Maryland is a leader in climate action, environmental protection, thanks to Governor Hogan’s leadership and the tireless efforts made by our departments employees and many partners from the public and private sectors throughout the state, region and nation.
