County Executive Elrich Announces Mora and Weissmann are Nominees for Vacant ACAO Positions

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Dr. Earl Stoddard unanimously confirmed by County Council to a third vacant ACAO Position

Today, County Executive Marc Elrich announced that Sonia Mora and Yaakov "Jake" Weissmann are his nominees to fill two vacant Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (ACAO) positions in his administration. Mora will oversee the Early Care and Education Initiative, children and families related matters and issues related to Montgomery County Public Schools. Weissmann will have responsibility for economic development and business advancement activities. Both nominees must be confirmed by the Montgomery County Council. ACAOs assist the chief administrative officer in managing the daily operations and performance of County government. Additionally, today, Dr. Earl Stoddard was unanimously confirmed by the County Council for a third ACAO position that oversees public safety and health departments.

“Assistant Chief Administrative Officers are critical to the proper management of our government and progress that we are committed to achieve on behalf of Montgomery County residents,” said County Executive Elrich. “I am pleased to nominate Sonia Mora and Jake Weissmann to join my team as well as congratulate Dr. Stoddard on his unanimous vote and support from the County Council. These three highly qualified individuals bring decades of experience from outside and inside County and State government to their respective positions. They will help further my vision for a more equitable and inclusive Montgomery County that will create a brighter and more prosperous future for everyone.” 

Dr. Stoddard, who has been a key figure during the County’s response to the COVID-19 efforts, has served as the Director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (OEMHS) since January 2016. In this capacity and as the Governor’s appointed Emergency Manager for the County, Dr. Stoddard has overseen the County’s emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and prevention programs. This includes leadership of the County Emergency Operations Center and OEMHS field operations. He played a major role in the coordination of the County’s response to numerous events including the January 2016 blizzard, Arliss Street apartment building explosion and fire recovery, 2017 and 2021 Presidential Inaugurations, and the COVID-19 response and recovery.

"I want to thank County Executive Elrich and members of the County Council for entrusting me with this tremendous responsibility,” said Dr. Stoddard. “I look forward to continue serving our County residents and building up the tremendous public safety, health, and human services programs upon which they rely."

Mora has decades of experience working in Montgomery County Government and is an accomplished leader, who currently serves as the director of the Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar Initiative, a health initiative that focuses on COVID-19 outreach to the Latino community. Over the years, she has been effective in the design, management, implementation, and evaluation of public health assistance and development projects and strategies that address disparities and social inequities among racial and ethnic minority populations. For the last 20 years, she has established, led, and managed complex projects and programs involving coordination with multiple private and public sector partners and collaborators with a focus on access to health and human services, health promotion, workforce development, community engagement and empowerment, data collection analysis and reporting, and policy development. 

“It is an honor to be appointed to this position and I am thankful to County Executive Elrich for this opportunity,” said Mora. “I have enjoyed serving the residents of this County for the past 31 years and been so appreciative of the relationships I have developed with colleagues and constituents. At the cornerstone of great communities are strong educational and support systems for all of our children and families. I look forward to working with the County Council on this appointment process.”

Weissmann brings legislative and State operations experience to Montgomery County. He most recently served as chief of staff, Office of the Senate President for the Maryland State Senate. Weissmann’s experience and knowledge at the State level will help to bolster Montgomery County’s economic development efforts. He is an experienced manager of both staff and budgets and knows how to work collaboratively with diverse and varied coalitions, organize and prioritize in high-stress environments, facilitate conversations and projects, and move key projects forward. 

“Montgomery County is a pivotal economic driver for the State of Maryland and a model for quality of life,” said Weissmann. “I am very appreciative to County Executive Elrich for this appointment and eager to serve the residents of this County. I look forward to engaging in thoughtful discussions with the Montgomery County Council Members and collaborating with them and community leaders on how we can help Montgomery County continue to provide equity, greater prosperity, and opportunity for all.”

The Montgomery County Council will interview Mora and Weissmann on Tuesday, Oct. 5.  The Council vote on these nominations has not been scheduled to date.

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Release ID: 21-768
Media Contact: Barry Hudson 240-300-7348
Categories: Executive Office