Ambassador Ward Reappointed Chair of Caribbean Commission

Maryland Governor Wes Moore reappointed Ambassador Curtis Ward to chair the Governor’s Commission on Caribbean Affairs. Ambassador Ward was first appointed to chair the 9-member Caribbean Commission by Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, on June 6, 2012, when he signed the Executive Order (EO). The members of the Commission served at the pleasure of the governor and ceased to exist when Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, who took office in January 2015, failed to take the necessary actions to ensure its continuity during his two four-year terms as governor. The Caribbean Commission which was established in the State of Maryland was the first of its kind in the United States.

In late 2022, then governor-elect Moore promised ambassador Ward that he would reinstate the Caribbean Commission. Promise made, promise kept. He did so, in late 2023, reappointing ambassador Ward as chairman, pursuant to the old EO. In early 2025, Gov. Moore signed a new Executive Order which not only reinstated the Commission but increased its membership to 15. Before this, the Caribbean Commission had the fewest number of members among all of the ethnic commissions in the state.

In a June 18th letter Gov. Moore copied to officials at the Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives, the governor officially reappointed Ambassador Ward to serve as the Commission’s chairman. The letter, addressed to ambassador Ward, read,

“With the utmost gratitude for your dedication to public service, it is my pleasure to designate you as Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Caribbean Affairs, serving at the pleasure of the Governor. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to advancing equity across our state, and to serving the best interests of all our citizens. We look forward to partnering with you to leave no one in Maryland behind.”

The Commission’s members are selected from among members of the Caribbean diaspora across the counties in the state representing the heritage of several Caribbean countries, including Puerto Rico. The Commission’s role is to advise the governor and state agencies; to identify the needs of the Caribbean community and make recommendations to ameliorate them; to conduct outreach to inform the Caribbean diasporic community on state benefits; and to make recommendations on legislation.

Specifically, the Governor’s Executive Order states that the Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Serve as an advisory body to the Governor and agencies within the Executive Department on matters relating to the Commission’s diasporic community within Maryland, including matters relating to economics, workforce, and business development domestically and abroad.
• Identify needs or problems affecting the Commission’s diasporic community and make recommendations to the Governor on appropriate responses and programs.
• Conduct outreach to the Commission’s diasporic community groups within the State and communicate information to them concerning public and private programs that are beneficial to their interests.
• Review and provide recommendations to the Governor on any proposed federal, State, or local legislation, regulations, policies, or programs that affect the Commission’s diasporic community of Maryland.