Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Announces Division of Neighborhood Revitalization Leadership Transition
Division of Neighborhood Revitalization Assistant Secretary Carol Gilbert to retire from DHCD; Kari Snyder named new Assistant Secretary
NEW CARROLLTON, MD (January 14, 2026) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today announced that Assistant Secretary Carol Gilbert, who leads the department’s Division of Neighborhood Revitalization, will retire this spring. Secretary Day named Kari Snyder, director of community and economic development partnerships at the Department, as Gilbert’s successor.
Gilbert has served as Assistant Secretary of the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization since April 2007. The division’s loan, grant and technical assistance programs help local governments, nonprofit organizations and small businesses reinvest in their communities and make great places in Maryland.
“Carol Gilbert has dedicated her professional career to improving Maryland communities and we are grateful for all she has done to make this state better,” said Secretary Jake Day. “Her work for nearly two decades laid the groundwork for what makes the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization successful today. The strong legacy she leaves at DHCD is a Maryland with more affordable housing, thriving businesses and neighborhoods with beautiful, lovable spaces.”
“Thank you to Governor Moore and Secretary Day for your leadership and historic support for Maryland’s communities. It has been an honor and pleasure to advance the reinvestment priorities of Maryland’s local community leaders these many years. We have a great team of leaders at DHCD that I will miss, and I am so proud, in particular, of the NR team’s commitment to the community,” said Assistant Secretary Gilbert. “I have every confidence in more great things to come under Kari’s leadership.”
Assistant Secretary Gilbert guided many changes during her tenure at the Department, including the expansion of reinvestment grantmaking from approximately $30 million annually to $120 million. That expansion helped create and grow several DHCD programs, such as the Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative, National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund, the Seed Community Development Anchor Institution Fund, Maryland Facade Improvement Program, Project CORE/Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Initiative and Strategic Demolition Fund, which have been used to improve neighborhoods and boost businesses across Maryland.
Gilbert led the development of the Department’s partnership with the Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development and Maryland Stadium Authority for implementation of Project CORE, a $20 million a year initiative for the elimination of abandoned or deteriorated properties which resulted in 2,500-plus rowhome demolitions and dozens of mixed-use economic development projects that adaptively reused large historic structures, such as the Hoen Building in east Baltimore. This funding has expanded into the Governor’s Reinvest Baltimore initiative of $50 million annually.
Additionally, Gilbert advocated for transfer of the homeless solutions team from the Maryland Department of Human Resources to the Department. That move, along with consolidating state homeless programs within the department and expanding staffing, became the foundation for the Department’s Division of Homeless Solutions, which was established in 2024.
Prior to her time at the Department, Gilbert worked at the Goldseker Foundation, which works with Baltimore’s civic leadership, nonprofit sector, and local entrepreneurs to serve the community through grantmaking focused on community development, education, and nonprofit organizational development. She also served as executive director for the Neighborhood Design Center, an organization that supports growth of healthy, equitable neighborhoods through access to community-engaged design and planning services.
Gilbert holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Maryland College Park. Her last day before retirement will be April 30.
Kari Snyder joined the Department in 2023 after 16 years of work in Baltimore’s nonprofit sector, including Healthy Neighborhood Inc. and Southeast Community Development Corporation, where she served as executive director. During her career, Snyder managed programs related to eviction prevention, community schools, placemaking, real estate development and commercial development and has raised millions of dollars for community development projects.
At the Department, Snyder has led the Neighborhood Revitalization team’s work with Reinvest Baltimore, a coordinated effort between the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and nonprofit and for-profit partners to eliminate concentrations of vacant properties, revitalize neighborhoods and maximize the economic potential and quality of life for residents in Baltimore City.
Under Snyder’s direction, $30 million in Baltimore Vacants Reinvest Initiative funds were awarded to 16 community development organizations in July 2025 within a 90-day window. She also guided the execution of the Reinvest Baltimore annual report and action plan, which was just adopted by the Baltimore Vacants Reinvestment Council in December.
Snyder’s team also rebranded and restructured the Main Street Maryland Program, including the reorganization of community designations and the creation of a statewide conference that brings main street professionals from Maryland and beyond together to share ways to make their communities thrive.
“Kari Snyder has a proven track record of success and her work at DHCD, especially with Reinvest Baltimore, has shown she is someone who can unify people in order to solve complex challenges,” said Secretary Day. “I know she will bring that same energy, dedication and insight as Assistant Secretary of the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization.”
“It’s an honor to advance Governor Moore and Secretary Day’s vision for revitalizing Maryland’s communities in collaboration with an exceptional team of community development leaders who demonstrate daily their focus on delivering meaningful, place-based impact,” said Snyder. “I look forward to working closely with local leaders across the state to help advance their revitalization goals and strengthen communities for the long term.”
Snyder holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and business from the University of Maryland College Park and a Human Services Leadership and Management Certificate from the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
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