Dear UMBC Community,
Many of you likely have heard by now the news that our very own Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann ’06 has been named to a top position in Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s cabinet. The governor announced recently that he was tapping Jake to be the next secretary of the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), effective October 22.
The news is unequivocally good for the state, and to have a UMBC alumnus in a top leadership role in Maryland is a point of pride for our university. In announcing the appointment, Gov. Moore noted Jake’s deep experience as a public servant and called him “one of the most effective policy minds in our state.”
I agree, and I know that Jake’s incredible knowledge of the state budget and all things state government, as well as his long-held commitment to serving the public, make him an outstanding choice for this role. At UMBC, we have been fortunate that for the past two years, Jake served the public through his work leading our Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs, first as associate vice president and, since August 2024, as vice president.
It has been an enormous gift to work with Jake and to benefit from his counsel as we have built and strengthened relationships with elected officials and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. He has positioned us not only to be well-known among our public officials, but also to be well-supported; he believes deeply in UMBC’s distinctive value and conveys that value to others in ways that resonate meaningfully and build lasting connections.
That work has been especially important this year, as we have navigated many actions and changes at the federal level, as well as reductions in state funding. Jake has been a tireless advocate for UMBC’s community, for its research, and for its values.
Jake returned to UMBC in 2023 after serving as an assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County. Before that, he spent 14 years with the Maryland General Assembly, 12 of those in the Office of the Senate President. Among other roles, he served as chief of staff to two Senate presidents. Jake majored in social work and psychology at UMBC, and it was here that he became passionate about a life in public service and community engagement. He went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. In 2023, Gov. Moore appointed Jake to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
We will work to fill the role of vice president for government relations and community affairs expeditiously, ideally before the next Maryland legislative session begins in January. For now, I want to celebrate Jake and offer my sincere thanks to him for his outstanding service and myriad contributions to UMBC. Please join me in congratulating Jake on this exciting and wonderful next step in his career in public service!
Sincerely,
President Valerie Sheares Ashby