MARYLAND COUNCIL FOR NEW AMERICANS

301 West Preston St., Baltimore, Maryland, March 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Irene Lee; Vinod K. Shah, M.D.; Pastor Jamila Woods-Jones. Terms expire 2012.

Appointed by Senate President: Joan Carter Conway; Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.

Appointed by House Speaker: Nicholaus R. Kipke; Susan C. Lee.

Ex officio: Dominick E. Murray, designee of Secretary of Business & Economic Development; Raymond A. Skinner, Secretary of Housing & Community Development; Stacy L. Rodgers, designee of Secretary of Human Resources; Richard E. Hall, Secretary of Planning; Luwanda W. Jenkins, Special Secretary of Minority Affairs; Israel C. (Izzy) Patoka, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Community Initiatives; Eric M. Seleznow, Executive Director, Governor's Workforce Investment Board; Mary Brown Scott, Esq., Chair, Commission on African-American History & Culture; Jane T. Nishida, Chair, Governor's Commission on Asian-Pacific American Affairs; Yolanda Maria Welch, Chair, Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs; Auriel A. Fenwick, Chair, Commission on Indian Affairs; Anwer Hasan, Chair, Governor's Commission on Middle-Eastern American Affairs.

Staff: Angela Lagdameo

c/o Governor's Office of Community Initiatives
301 West Preston St., Suite 1500, Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 767-1822
e-mail: alagdameo@goci.state.md.us
web: www.newamericans.maryland.gov

• A Fresh Start: Renewing Immigrant Integration for a Stronger Maryland, August, 2009

Functions of the Maryland Council for New Americans originated with the Maryland Refugee Advisory Council formed within the Department of Human Resources in 1980. The Council reformed within the Department in 1994 as the Maryland Advisory Council for New Americans (Executive Order 01.01.1994.26). In December 2008, the Governor established the Maryland Council for New Americans as a unit seperate from the Department (Executive Order 01.01.2008.18).

To promote the full integration of immigrants into the economic and civic life of Maryland, the Council reviews and makes recommendations concerning current practices and policies to expedite integration of immigrants into Maryland society.

The Council is a partnership between public, private and civic sectors. Besides its membership, the Council has an executive committee and four working groups.

CITIZENSHIP WORKING GROUP
The Citizenship Working Group is to plan how to more help some approximately 175,000 legal permanent residents in Maryland to become naturalized.

FINANCIAL SERVICES WORKING GROUP
The Financial Services Working Group will find strategies to improve immigrant access to mainstream financial services, family financial planning, and stable homeownership opportunities.

GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS WORKING GROUP
The Governmental Access Working Group is to improve the accessibility to governmental services for immigrants. Further, the Group will develop StateStat measures for tracking service to immigrants.

WORKFORCE WORKING GROUP
To address the State's workforce shortage, the Workforce Working Group will examine the transfer of credentials, and the training and attracting of key workers; and will find the best way to teach immigrants to speak English, both at work and in the public schools. The Working Group also will examine how the Maryland OneStop Career Centers System helps immigrants find employment and whether that process can be streamlined.

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