BALTIMORE, MD (September 9, 2011) – David A. Costello, Director of Governor O'Malley's Delivery Unit and Assistant Secretary of the Department of Planning, has been named Deputy Secretary for Policy and Planning at the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). MDE Secretary Robert M. Summers announced the appointment today.

Deputy Secretary Costello brings to his new position more than 20 years of experience in State, local, and federal government, and international agencies. In recent years, he has been responsible for development and implementation of 15 cross-agency action plans involving over 350 programs to achieve Governor O'Malley's strategic policy goals relating to job creation and retention, workforce up-skilling, student achievement and career readiness, violent crime reduction, homeland security preparedness, Chesapeake Bay restoration, energy efficiency and renewable energy expansion, climate change mitigation, transit ridership expansion, electronic health records adoption, substance abuse services expansion, infant mortality mitigation, and childhood hunger eradication.

Prior to and running concurrently with his appointment as Director of the Governor's Delivery Unit, he has served as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Planning and the Director of the Maryland Office of Smart Growth.

"It's a privilege to serve as Deputy Secretary for Policy and Planning with Secretary Summers and the many talented people at MDE dedicated to protecting public health and the environment," Deputy Secretary Costello said. "From the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay to climate change to harmful sprawl development, we face many important environmental challenges that provide exciting opportunities for innovative, cost-effective, and job-creating solutions."

Deputy Secretary Costello is a graduate of the George Washington University and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Prior to his work with the O'Malley/Brown Administration, David served as Director of the Mayor's Office of Community Investment in Baltimore City and as a regional and country program manager with the United States Agency for International Development.

Deputy Secretary Costello will manage the Department's expanding role in multi-program and multi-agency activities directed toward achieving the O'Malley/Brown Administration's sustainability and green economy goals.