​​Carmel Martin is the Special Secretary leading the Governor's Office for Children and a Senior Advisor to the Governor for Economic Mobility. She chairs the Governor's Children's Cabinet, works to improve services to support Maryland's children and families, and drives policy action to reduce child poverty, including leading implementation of the Governor's ENOUGH initiative focusing on neighborhoods with the highest concentration of poverty across the state.

Prior to this role, Martin held various appointments in the Biden-Harris Administration including Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, Deputy Director at the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Mobility. Martin also served in the Obama Administration as the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Budget at the U.S. Department of Education.

Martin was one of the founding staff members at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C., where she subsequently served as Executive Vice President leading teams spanning across domestic, economic, climate and national security policy. She also worked in the United States Senate focused on legislation tackling education, workforce, economic, and healthcare issues.

Martin began her career as a civil rights lawyer in private practice and at the United States Department of Justice.  

Secretary Martin believes in bridging the gap between policy and community by building coalitions across sectors to uplift children and families and to eradicate child poverty.