The Mayor announced Ramenta Cottrell will be the new director
Frederick, Md. – Mayor Michael O’Connor announced the appointment of Ramenta Cottrell as Frederick’s first Director of Housing and Human Services. Cottrell’s appointment was approved by the Board of Aldermen during a closed session this afternoon.
Since 2013, Cottrell has served the communities of Frederick and Carroll counties under the umbrella of Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley. Utilizing Goodwill’s national reach, she capitalized on her opportunity to collaborate with human services leaders across the nation to share best practices and data-driven initiatives for the replication of services locally. Cottrell is actively involved in various nonprofit collaborations, is an active member of the Board of Directors at New Spire Arts, and has served on the 2020 Strategic Planning Steering Committee at Frederick Community College. In addition to her commitment to Frederick, Cottrell continues to collaborate with nonprofit leaders statewide, specifically supporting initiatives for vocational, adaptive, and educational supports for youth and adults with disabilities. Her educational background, which includes bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Temple University and master’s degrees in Special Education and Counseling from Arcadia University, has helped to shape her philosophy regarding holistic programming. Currently, she is completing an MBA in Business Administration and an MA in Humanities at Hood College.
Earlier in 2020, Mayor O’Connor shared his vision for expanded services and resources in the areas of housing and human services for The City of Frederick. Upon review and approval by the Board of Aldermen, the Department of Housing and Human Services was established and the search for a Director commenced.
The Director position was advertised for six weeks, beginning in late March. The Mayor selected a Search Committee of Chris Bickle, Nick Brown, Betsy Day, Kim Dine, Diane Fink, and Mitch Hose to work with the City’s HR department and assist in the screening of candidates. This committee surveyed the community for their expectations of the new Director, reviewed the applications, and conducted two rounds of interviews. The Mayor received finalists from the committee and then engaged an internal staff interview panel for a final round of interviews.
“Ramenta is a connector, an evaluator, and a passionate leader who has the ability to successfully leverage strategic partnerships, to streamline interagency services, and to create efficiencies within existing funding sources, shared Mayor O’Connor. I am eager to re-introduce Ramenta to the community in this role and look forward to the community’s continued collaboration and partnership as the Department of Housing and Human Services takes its next step in its evolution.”
Cottrell will officially begin in October 2020.