Maryland Governor: Wes Moore (D)
Wes Moore, a combat veteran, best-selling author, small business owner, Rhodes Scholar and former CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations, has devoted his life’s work to a basic principle: No matter your start in life, you deserve an equal opportunity to succeed — a job you can raise a family on, a future you can look forward to.
Moore was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, to Joy and Westley Moore. When Wes was just three years old, his father died of a rare but treatable virus. His mother moved the family to the Bronx, in New York. The family returned to Maryland when he was 14.
He graduated with an associate’s degree from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and then Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. He went on to serve as a captain and paratrooper with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne, including leading soldiers in combat in Afghanistan. He also served as a White House fellow, advising on issues of national security and international relations.
He served for four years as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation. During his tenure, the Robin Hood Foundation distributed over $600 million toward lifting families out of poverty.
While the Robin Hood Foundation is headquartered in New York City, he and his family never moved from their home in Baltimore, Maryland.
Of the many titles Moore has held over the years, there are two that he’s most proud of: husband and father. He and his wife Dawn live with their two children in Baltimore City.
