Governor Appoints a Top Leader at Melwood to Maryland Community Health Resources Commission

UPPER MARLBORO, Md., August 1, 2017— Cari DeSantis, President & CEO at Melwood, announced the appointment of Scott Gibson, its Vice President of Human Resources, to the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission. Governor Larry Hogan (R-Md.) appointed Gibson to the commission effective on July 1. Gibson was officially sworn in on July 21 in Annapolis, Md. The Commission was created in 2005 to expand accessible health care in underserved communities. The programs created through the Commission have served more than 330,000 people around the state.

Since joining Melwood in 2013, Gibson has expanded his role in HR to providing leadership for Melwood’s Vocational Support Services program, which provides career-related accommodations and supports to 650 people with differing abilities. He has proven to be a strong advocate for individuals with differing abilities. In 2016, Gibson was among the leaders calling on the General Assembly to end the practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage.

“We are honored to have one of our team members serve on such a critical Commission,” said DeSantis. “This appointment provides Scott with the ability to reach beyond the Melwood walls to those vulnerable communities to discuss expanding access to public health care.”

This appointment is a natural progression for Gibson, who has spent his career in public service. Some of his positions included, Director of Human Resources of Harford County, Md., Deputy Director of the Maryland Racing Commission, and Vice Chairman and Trustee of Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding. Among others, Gibson also served on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Public Employers Labor Relations Association and National Public Employers Labor Relations Association, where he chaired the Legislative/Legal Advocacy Committee.

“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission,” said Gibson, who throughout his career, has worked to identify some less obvious correlations between human resources and human services. “Access to health care, even the most basic health care, is critical to the well-being of our communities; it is even more critical for our neighbors with differing abilities. I look forward to helping Maryland leverage resources to close this gap.”

Gibson earned his Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor of Arts from Mount Saint Mary’s College, where he has served on the adjunct faculty.

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About Melwood

Melwood is a 501(c)(3) organization that advocates for and empowers individuals of differing abilities to transform their own lives through unique opportunities to work and play in the community. Melwood provides employment, job training, life skill improvement, supportive and recreational services for more than 2000 people with differing abilities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region and serves as an international model for social entrepreneurship that has been duplicated around the world. Specialties include: Social Services, Total Facilities Management Services, Landscaping and Groundskeeping, Custodial, Recycling, Customized Job Training, Electronics Recycling, Green Cleaning Products, and Veterans Services. For more information, visit www.melwood.org.