Work Groups and Advisory Councils

The Comptroller of Maryland will be convening several Work Groups and Advisory Councils to provide opportunities for key stakeholder groups, policy experts, and community partners to advise the agency on our strategic goals, policy direction, and new initiatives while also helping to shape our internal and external engagement strategy. Each Work Group/Advisory Council will meet quarterly, with two-year terms. Members will be invited to:

Share feedback on pressing issues impacting their communities;
Advise the agency on its policy agenda and priorities;
Outreach to their networks to identify volunteers to support the Comptroller of Maryland’s initiatives and community engagement efforts;
Identify opportunities for collaboration between the Comptroller of Maryland and their communities/networks; and
Serve as internal and external validators for the agency.

Below is a brief summary of each work group/advisory council’s role:

Business Advisory Council will include industry representatives and prominent members of Maryland’s business community, including small-, minority-, and women business owners, who will help to advise the agency on priority and emerging issues and challenges facing the business community, as well as provide perspective on the state of Maryland’s economy.
Climate Advisory Council is charged with helping the Comptroller to position Maryland as a national leader on climate sustainability. The Council will support and review the Comptroller’s development of a climate sustainability plan that will include tools and strategies for measuring the climate impact of state contracts and spending, investments, and economic and fiscal policies. The Council will include subject matter experts, professionals, and advocates in the climate, sustainability, environmental justice, and resilience fields.
Faith Leaders Advisory Council is charged with helping the Comptroller’s Office to develop partnerships with Maryland’s faith community to ensure that organizations of all denominations have access to agency resources.  The Council will also provide guidance on topics of interest to the faith community and identify opportunities for the Comptroller’s Office to directly engage with the faith community in Maryland. 
Financial Literacy Advisory Council is charged with helping to support the development of a robust financial literacy agenda that positions the Comptroller of Maryland as a go-to, state-wide resource. This includes identifying strategies and opportunities to educate disparate communities around financial literacy; developing new financial literacy resources to meet pressing community needs; promoting the agency’s efforts throughout the state; and making the Office of the Comptroller a trusted hub and repository of financial literacy information and data.  
Information Technology Work Group is charged with advising the Comptroller of Maryland on the agency’s strategic IT priorities and inform its IT decision-making across the agency.  Work group members will provide feedback on proposals, share recommendations to improve the agency’s overall IT infrastructure and security, and generally support efforts to modernize the Comptroller of Maryland’s IT systems.
Labor Advisory Council will include representatives from Maryland’s labor community and national labor leaders/experts.  This Council will provide a venue for the Comptroller of Maryland to share information about new ideas and initiatives and also solicit feedback on legislative and policy proposals. Labor representatives and other Council members will also be invited to share information about new initiatives, legislative proposals, areas of concerns and opportunities for partnership, coordination, and collaboration. 
Local Government Advisory Council will include representatives from Maryland’s county and municipal governments and provide a venue for information-sharing between the Comptroller of Maryland and local government leaders. The Comptroller will regularly provide updates and solicit feedback on new initiatives and policy proposals, and Council members will be charged with sharing information about relevant updates in their counties/jurisdictions while also elevating areas of concern and opportunities for partnership.
New Americans Advisory Council will include members of Maryland’s new American community, including refugees, immigrants, and community advocates.  The Council will work closely with the Comptroller of Maryland to improve the quality of services delivered by the agency and address gaps in services provide to new Americans in the state.  They will also advise the agency on emerging topics/issues within the new American community and identify partnership opportunities throughout the state.
Staff Advisory Council will work closely with the Equity and Transformation Office, along with Public Engagement, to develop and implement new staff-focused initiatives and engagement opportunities and advise the Comptroller of Maryland on potential proposals and areas of concerns for staff. This Council will be comprised solely of agency staff and include labor representatives as well as staff throughout each division of the agency – from contractual employees and more entry-level staff to management and leadership.  Council members will also help with volunteering at division and agency-wide events, promoting agency efforts in their units and divisions, and regularly sharing information with their colleagues. 
Tax Practitioners Work Group will be comprised of members of Maryland’s tax industry, including tax preparers, attorneys, taxpayer advocates, and policy leaders.  This Council will advise the Comptroller of Maryland on challenges facing the industry and provide feedback on proposals and new initiatives to improve the quality of services provided to Maryland taxpayers and ensure industry accountability.  
Women’s Economic Empowerment Council is charged with advising the Comptroller of Maryland on financial challenges facing women in Maryland and potential opportunities to strengthen and promote women's financial resilience – through financial education, addressing financial abuse (in domestic violence for instance), in starting and growing businesses, and improving access to state resources, contracts, and grants. Council members will provide feedback on proposals and new initiatives, brainstorm ways to educate women about finances, and develop new partnerships to help build prosperity among women in Maryland.