Maryland’s Census 2020
Complete Count Committee
Holds Monthly Meeting
in Hyattsville

Committee Welcomes Four New Members
and Continues Planning for
Complete Census Count in 2020

(June 4, 2019) Hyattsville, MD  - With 301 days until Census Day 2020 (April 1), the Maryland Complete Count Committee (CCC) today held its third meeting as it develops and implements a statewide plan to get every Maryland resident counted in the decennial census. The meeting was held at CASA de Maryland's Langley Park offices in Hyattsville. Four new members were added to the CCC, bringing the total number of members to 14. The Maryland CCC was formed by Governor Larry Hogan by executive order in February of this year.

“A full and accurate count of every Maryland resident is critical to ensuring all of our families and communities can thrive,” said Planning Secretary Robert McCord. “Counting everyone ensures Maryland will have the resources, and representation in communities that accurately reflect our diverse population, from Oakland to Ocean City.”

The four members added to the CCC are:

• William F. Ariano, Jr., a Baltimore resident, is President and CEO of Baltimore Community Lending with a deep background in community development.
• Marianne Hyang Nam Brackney, a Columbia resident, worked in the Office of Communications for the U.S. Social Security Administration, having served as a liaison and advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander populations.
• George Escobar, a Hyattsville resident, is Chief of Programs and Services for CASA de Maryland, an advocate group for Latino and immigrant people.
• Dan Joerres, a Reisterstown resident, is President and General Manager of WBAL-TV, the Baltimore NBC affiliate with significant experience in media and civic engagement.

“The census is important, easy, and safe,” added  Secretary McCord. “The U.S. census is the portrait of US that will last 10 years, so we must get everyone in the picture.”

Last month’s CCC meeting included a training conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to assist members in successfully communicating the challenges facing the census. The workshop was attended by the members of the Maryland CCC, county census points of contact, and recipients of the 2020 Census Grant Program to enhance their work in getting their communities counted.

“The Maryland CCC is committed to successfully counting every Marylander and working with our low response score communities to understand how much the census affects our daily lives,” said Maryland CCC Co-chairs Lilly Castillo-Harris and Walkiria Pool. “We are proud to work on this most important effort with our committee members and our partners throughout the state.”

Every Maryland county and Baltimore City has established a point of contact for local census activities and 23 jurisdictions have set up, or are in the process of setting up, a local complete count committee. For details about the contacts and committees, go to the Maryland Census 2020 Partners page on the Census.Maryland.gov website.

The 2020 decennial census is required by law to count every person in the United States. Census information is used to distribute billions of dollars in federal funds for programs and services, reapportionment for Congress and local legislative districts, and for important local economic development and planning decisions.

Personal information is protected by federal law and cannot be shared by the Census Bureau with any other agency. Census Day is April 1, 2020 - the date where every person living in the U.S. is asked to complete the census by mail or for the first time ever, by phone or online.

The U.S. Census Bureau urges the formation of Complete Count Committees at the state, county, and municipal level to organize census efforts.

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