May 26th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointment of Roy McGrath, IOM, CAE as the new chief of staff for the State of Maryland.

McGrath, currently CEO and Chairman of the Maryland Environmental Service Board of Directors, was appointed to this role by Governor Hogan in December 2016. He previously served as a senior advisor to the governor, deputy chief of staff, and liaison to the Maryland Board of Public Works. Since March, he has served as a key member of the governor’s Coronavirus Response Team, supporting alignment of critical state resources to manage the crisis.

“Roy McGrath is an experienced public and private sector leader with a proven track record of managing at every level of government and a passionate commitment to public service,” said Governor Hogan. “Roy has played a key role in our coronavirus response over the last three months, so his transition to chief of staff will be seamless. I want to sincerely thank Matthew Clark, who has been a close advisor to me and an integral part of our administration’s success over the last five years, and wish him and his family all the best.”

“I am grateful to Governor Hogan for his trust and confidence, and for this opportunity to work alongside his exceptional team at this important moment in our state’s history,” said McGrath. 

Prior to his roles in the Hogan administration, McGrath was most recently vice president of business development for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, a leading retail and health care trade group, where he worked for nearly 20 years. He also served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Defense, and in the office of former Maryland Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest. McGrath is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park. Click here for McGrath’s full biography.

McGrath succeeds Matthew Clark, who will begin next month as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications with the University of Maryland Medical System. Clark has been Governor Hogan’s chief of staff since August 2017, and was director of communications from January 2015-July 2016.

“Serving in the Hogan administration and working on behalf of Governor Hogan has been a great honor and I am profoundly grateful to have had this incredible opportunity to serve the people of Maryland. This role has been the highlight of my career and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” said Clark.

McGrath’s appointment is effective June 1.