Dr. James D. Fielder, Maryland’s secretary of Higher Education, will address the 2022 Wor-Wic Community College graduates at commencement on Wednesday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury.
Fielder has a long career in public service, appointed by four Maryland governors to serve in numerous leadership capacities. He is a member of the Governor’s Executive Council and Workforce Development Board, among many other state boards and committees. Before taking on his current role, he served as secretary of appointments; secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; deputy and acting secretary for Business and Economic Development; assistant secretary for the Department of Economic & Employment Development; and was a member of Gov. Larry Hogan’s transition team.
He also served as Towson University’s vice president of finance and administration, as well as the director of budget, personnel & institutional research at the University of Michigan-Flint. A Maryland native, Fielder received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland College Park, and his doctorate in higher education at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) is Maryland’s higher education coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for colleges and universities. MHEC also administers state financial aid programs that affect students on a statewide basis.
