VOTE411 Voter Guide

By statute the Register of Wills serves as the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. Howard County is unique as it no longer has an Orphans' Court. As a result the Register's office is the primary public face of the probate process. Supporting individuals and families during the difficult time is important.

I have not served in this office before. However I have practiced as a licensed probate attorney for more than 20 years.

1. update the technology in the office 2. Streamline the probate process

When you lose a loved one and need help from your government, you’ll end up coming to us. It’s important that we support you in a compassionate, reliable, and efficient way. Knowing this is an extremely challenging time, we make an overwhelming ordeal feel manageable and let you know you’re not alone. This role is essential to guiding families through probate, leading on reforms to make probate faster, fairer, and less expensive, and engaging the community on the importance of estate planning.

As an effective manager, I’ve spent my tenure building an office that is a model for good government. My staff and I treat people like human beings, not case numbers. As a prolific reformer, I’ve streamlined procedures, cut millions in fees, created protections for domestic partners, modernized our probate court, and achieved perfect fiscal audits. As a proponent of outreach, I’ve worked with community groups to empower people with tools to plan ahead and protect themselves and their families.

In these uncertain times, people deserve leadership that makes government work for them when they need it most. In the term ahead, I’ll use my 15 years of proven experience to continue and build on this office’s reputation for outstanding service. I’ll keep treating everyone with dignity and respect. I’ll keep leading on progressive reforms, expediting procedures, lowering costs, and implementing a user-friendly e-filing system. And I’ll keep empowering people through robust community outreach.