Maryland transportation secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld will step away from state service Aug. 1, Gov. Wes Moore announced Wednesday.
Wiedefeld has led the state’s transportation department since 2023. He previously held leadership positions with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Maryland Aviation Administration, and Maryland Transportation Administration.
“Our state is grateful for Paul Wiedefeld’s distinguished service over the last two and a half years,” Moore said in a statement. “Under Paul’s leadership, we’ve made it easier for Marylanders to get from where they live to where opportunity lies — and laid the foundation for a more competitive, affordable state for all. Secretary Wiedefeld brought decades of expertise to our team, and he used that wisdom to cultivate a new generation of talent.”
Deputy Secretary Samantha J. Biddle will serve as acting secretary while Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller leads a national search for Wiedefeld’s permanent replacement.
“Samantha Biddle has the experience, instincts, and knowledge to carry forward the baton of service at the Maryland Department of Transportation,” Moore said. “I look forward to continuing our work together as she takes on this new acting role.”
Wiedefeld’s more than 40-year career has included both public- and private-sector transportation positions.
Under the Moore-Miller Administration, Wiedefeld guided the Purple Line light rail transit project and oversaw the state’s transportation-related response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
He also secured more than $5 billion in federal grants to advance Maryland transportation projects, such as the replacement of the Maryland Transit Administration’s light rail vehicles, the Maryland Transportation Authority’s project to improve the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, reconstruction of berths 11-1 at the Port of Baltimore’s Dundalk Marine Terminal, and the transformation of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor railroad line and the MARC Penn Line.
“Secretary Wiedefeld comes from a family of servant leaders and has dedicated his life to public service, transforming how Marylanders move and connect,” Miller said in a statement. “We thank him for his tireless work. As we launch a nationwide search for his successor, we are committed to finding a leader ready to meet the urgent needs of our transportation systems.”
Biddle has served as deputy transportation secretary since 2023. She brings nearly two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors of the transportation industry.
As acting secretary, she will lead the department’s management of Maryland transit, highways, airport, port, tolling, and motor vehicle services.
Biddle earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Delaware and is an American Institute Certified Planner.
She completed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive Institute and State Highway Administration Advanced Leadership Program.
Biddle is also Maryland’s voting member for AASHTO’s Transportation Policy Forum; chair of the AASHTO Census Transportation Solutions technical service program; a director-at-large for Women’s Transportation Seminar– Baltimore Chapter; and a Young Professionals Program Mentor.
