Organizational Leaders
Theodore Dallas
Secretary
Theodore Dallas was appointed secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources in May of 2011, after serving as interim secretary since the beginning of that year. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Dallas was selected by Governor Martin O’Malley to serve as his deputy chief of staff. In that capacity, Mr. Dallas oversaw more than a half-dozen state government agencies ranging from economic development to housing and community development. Prior to his work in Maryland, Mr. Dallas served for five years as the executive deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. He continues to utilize his considerable management and leadership experience to strengthen DHR programs and systems that provide assistance to over one million Marylanders annually.
Mr. Dallas earned an undergraduate degree in political science and economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Temple University.
ML Wernecke
Chief of Staff
As Chief of Staff, Ms. Wernecke coordinates with stakeholders in an effort to identify strategies and resources to more effectively serve Marylanders. She brings considerable experience in creating and coordinating policy inititatives and has served as Policy Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare as well as Deputy Policy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning.
Ms. Wernecke’s experience and proven track record of securing project funding, and overseeing job placement and training programs will serve the agency well as she works closely with the Office of the Secretary and DHR’s statewide leadership team.
Thomasina (Tomi) Hiers
Deputy Secretary of Programs
Ms. Hiers oversees the management of the Department of Human Resources’ Family Investment, Social Services and Child Support Enforcement Administrations. In this capacity, she coordinates the development and implementation of key projects, central to the Department’s mission. Ms. Hiers works with the Secretary to develop policies, practices and programs to better serve Maryland families.
Before joining DHR, Ms. Hiers served as the Acting Chief to the Mayor of the City of Baltimore. Prior to that, Ms. Hiers was the Deputy Chief of Staff, where she served as the Mayor’s senior advisor on policies, programs and services impacting vulnerable populations including youth, ex-offenders and the homeless. In addition, Ms. Hiers previously served as director of Mayor’s Office of Human Services and was Assistant Secretary/Chief of Staff at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
Carnitra White
Executive Director
Social Services Administration
Carnitra White oversees the state’s foster care and adoption system, adult services and child protective services. She began her career at DHR in 1993 as a Purchase of Care (POC) worker at Baltimore City DSS. She was formerly the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Programs and has also served as the manager of the Office of Strategic Management at the Baltimore City Department of Social Services.
Ms. White has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland. She resides in Baltimore and is active with numerous community and social organizations.
Rosemary Malone
Executive Director
Family Investment Administration
Rosemary Malone has over 30 years of experience with the Department of Human Resources. Prior to serving in her current capacity, she served as Deputy Executive Director responsible for the Office of Programs. In this role, she managed the agency’s temporary cash assistance, food stamps, medical assistance and energy assistance programs.
In addition to overseeing economic assistance programs, Ms. Malone has considerable experience in employment and training, quality control, research and analysis, and planning. After graduating from Eckerd College and doing graduate work at the University of South Florida, she began her public service career with the Florida Department of Commerce.
Joseph DiPrimio
Executive Director
Child Support Enforcement Administration
Mr. DiPrimio brings over 30 years of front-line and executive experience in state and local government and has considerable private sector experience. Prior to coming to Maryland, Mr. DiPrimio worked with Philadelphia’s Child Support program and was responsible for overseeing the administration of the Philadelphia Court System.
His considerable experience has prepared him well to assist Maryland in reviewing its operations and making the necessary adjustments to achieve Maryland’s goal of becoming one of the top ten states in the nation for child support collections.
