Hogan appoints deputy chief of staff to oversee Maryland's natural resources

Governor Larry Hogan has appointed his deputy chief of staff as Maryland’s new secretary of natural resources.

Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio was named Friday to the Cabinet position and is slated to begin her appointment in early February, according to a Friday news release. She had served as deputy chief of staff since January 2016 and as director of intergovernmental affairs from 2015 to 2016, according to the Maryland State Archives.

Haddaway-Riccio will replace Secretary Mark Belton, who is returning to his former post as Charles County administrator, the release states.

“Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio has been a strong member of my executive team since day one and has a proven track record of working to protect Maryland’s environment,” Hogan said in the release. “I know that Jeannie will be instrumental in ensuring that we continue to build on our incredible progress in preserving our state’s precious natural resources.”

Prior to her work in the governor’s office, Haddaway-Riccio was a Republican member of Maryland’s House of Delegates from 2003 to 2015. She also worked for the Maryland Department of Environment’s Air and Radiation Management Administration and the National Audubon Society, the release states.

“As a lifelong and proud native of the Eastern Shore, serving our citizens and protecting Maryland’s natural resources has always been my passion,” Haddaway-Riccio said in the release.