Serena McIlwain

Serena McIlwain

Public Policy Board | Board Member

Serena McIlwain was confirmed as the Maryland Department of the Environment’s 11th Secretary on March 2, 2023.  Prior to that, Secretary McIlwain was the Under Secretary at the California Environmental Protection Agency.  A native of the Washington Metro area, Sec. McIlwain also worked for the federal government as a Senior Executive for numerous Executive Branch agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Assistant Regional Administrator for Region 9 in San Francisco, California, Performance Improvement Officer and Director of Continuous Improvement at U.S. EPA Headquarters, and Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy.  Sec. McIlwain holds two Master’s degrees.  She received a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University and a Master’s degree in Administration & International Studies from Central Michigan University.​