Governor Moore Announces Additional Employment Support for Impacted Federal Workers

By PRESS OFFICER
Office of the Governor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 18, 2025)—Governor Wes Moore today announced the launch of a new process to streamline hiring for four critical and hard-to-fill position types across the state government. The governor directed actions to streamline hiring to modernize state government and to support job-seeking federal workers impacted by federal layoffs and firings. Under the Maryland Department of Budget Management, this initiative creates one-stop-shop job pages for four position types—Human Resources, Procurement Officers, Accountants, and Fiscal Accounts Technicians—where federal workers can apply for jobs across agencies and locations with a single application.

“Today’s actions mark the latest in our commitment to protect federal public servants against these attacks from Washington and connect them with opportunities to serve our state,” said Gov. Moore. “This new streamlined process will help us hire qualified applicants more quickly, bridge the employment gap, and grow our economy. Maryland is mobilizing, and together, we will leave no one behind.”

Applications will be put into an expedited pathway to get considered and potentially interviewed for available openings within weeks. Applications for the program are live, and will remain open until May 2, with subsequent waves of positions opening on a recurring basis.

The new initiative is part of a series of actions to reinforce the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to supporting Marylanders, while investing in an economy that can weather future disruptions. In February, the governor laid out a 5-point strategy for addressing impacted federal workers, including:

• Building out Maryland Public Servants Resource Website to help laid off federal workers access supports and opportunities—from unemployment insurance to new job postings. To date, the resource website has had 109,000 unique visitors and received 152,000 views;

• Launching a new resource page on Teach Maryland to support federal workers interested in starting a second career with Maryland’s public schools, which will ensure we both connect Marylanders with jobs and close the teacher shortage at the same time;

• Moving in partnership with county and local leaders to connect federal workers with recruitment events and job fairs in their communities;

• Actively recruiting federal workers into state jobs, and launching a partnership with Work for America’s Civic Match platform to connect federal workers with new employment opportunities; and

• Updating processes across state government agencies to expedite hiring to
 
accommodate an influx of applications from federal workers.

If you are a displaced federal worker in Maryland and are interested in continuing your public service in a new way, please consider applying here: https://www.jobapscloud.com/MD/.

TOP OF PAGE

College Park National Guard Soldier Receives New Rank, New Responsibilities

By PRESS OFFICER
New York National Guard

LATHAM, N.Y. (April 16, 2025)—Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general for the state of New York, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.

Lawrence Provost from College Park, Md., and assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 204th Engineer Battalion, received a promotion March 27, 2025 to the rank of captain.

Army National Guard promotions are based on a Soldier’s overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism and future development potential.

These promotions recognize the best qualified Soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.

Army National Guard Citizen Soldiers who serve our state and nation are eligible for monthly pay, educational benefits (from the state and federal government), travel across the globe, technical and leadership training, health and dental insurance and contributions towards retirement programs similar to a 401(k).

Visit www.dmna.ny.gov or www.1800goguard.com

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state’s executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York’s Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

TOP OF PAGE

MONEY: 4 Ways Financial Professionals Recommend You Spend Your Tax Refund

(StatePoint) Receiving a tax refund this year? While it can be tempting to impulse spend, if you want to really treat yourself, financial professionals recommend using the payout for practical expenses.

According to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING® professionals, here are smart ways to spend your tax refund that will improve your life:

1. Build an emergency fund: Unexpected circumstances, such as illness or job loss, can leave you with more bills and less income. Not having an emergency fund puts you at risk of having to take on high-interest debt to meet expenses. Use your tax refund to create some peace of mind for yourself and your family. And now that you’ve started the emergency fund, consider using direct deposit to funnel a portion of each paycheck into this account.

2. Reduce debt: Paying down debt can feel like an insurmountable challenge. And if it’s a challenge you’ve been avoiding, you can use your tax refund to kick-start your journey. Not sure where to start? A CFP® professional can help you identify which debt to prioritize first, as well as help you craft a repayment strategy moving forward.

3. Save for retirement: No matter your age or stage in life, a tax refund offers a great opportunity to give your retirement account a boost. Thanks to compounding, the money you set aside today in an investment account, such as a 401(k) or Roth IRA, will exponentially grow between now and when it’s time to tap your nest egg.

4. Set financial goals: From planning a vacation or wedding to becoming a homeowner, your goals are worth investing in. Put your tax refund toward something that matters to you.

The best thing you can do may be avoiding future refunds. While it feels great to receive a big check during tax time, a tax refund is effectively an interest-free loan you have made to the government. You’re much better off keeping more of your money throughout the year so you can invest it or use it on things you need. Consult a CFP® professional on how to adjust your withholdings to get closer to breaking even next year.

For more tax season tips and to find your CFP® professional, visit LetsMakeAPlan.org.

With an actionable plan and the help of a qualified financial professional, you can ensure your tax refund is put to good use.

TOP OF PAGE