The Rise of Will Tilburg

Wes Moore's New Chief Legislative Officer

The Second Floor Pivot: Why Will Tilburg’s Rise Signals a New Era for Governor Moore’s Legislative Strategy

By Barry O’Connell

If you want to know where an administration is heading in the back half of its term, don’t look at the press releases—look at who they put in charge of 100 State Circle during session.

Governor Wes Moore’s recent decision to name Will Tilburg as his new Chief Legislative Officer—replacing Jeremy Baker as Baker transitions to take over the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency—is much more than a routine reshuffle of State House nameplates. It signals a fundamental shift in how the Governor’s office plans to interact with the General Assembly, state regulators, and the multi-billion-dollar industries that power Maryland’s economy.

For those who know Tilburg, the appointment is hard to argue with on a personal level. Speaking with a member of the Governor’s cabinet earlier this week, she didn’t hesitate to praise the pick, telling me simply that Tilburg is “one of the nicest people” in state government—a rare consensus compliment in a room usually full of sharp elbows.

But in Annapolis, being well-liked only gets you through the front door. What matters to the legislative machinery is what you bring to the table when the doors close.

From Public Health Law to a $1 Billion Rollout

Tilburg isn’t your traditional legislative operative who cut his teeth exclusively in campaign war rooms or House caucus offices. He holds a law degree from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law alongside a Master of Public Health (MPH), starting his career navigating complex public health policy, drug regulation, and statutory frameworks at UMD’s Legal Resource Center.

That deep-dirt regulatory background is precisely why he was tapped to lead the former Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, eventually becoming the inaugural director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration. In that role, Tilburg didn’t just manage an agency; he spearheaded the high-stakes, highly scrutinized transition from a medical market into a $1.1+ billion adult-use recreational rollout, navigating fierce social equity debates and complex licensing rounds under intense legislative spotlight.

Most recently, Tilburg served as Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), managing the policy interests of one of the state’s largest employers and healthcare networks.

On paper, he’s a policy powerhouse. But what does this move mean for the lobbyists, state contractors, gaming entities, healthcare executives, and political professionals who make their living forecasting state policy?

The rest of this briefing—including our tactical breakdown of what Tilburg’s

appointment means for upcoming legislative battles, regulatory enforcement,

the gaming/casino landscape, and how the “expense account class“ should adjust

their lobbying playbooks—is available exclusively to paid subscribers of

The Maryland Wire.

Join the legislators, government affairs directors, campaign strategists, and

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What the “Expense Account Class“ Needs to Know

If you represent clients with business before the State of Maryland—whether in healthcare, commercial gaming, development, or state procurement—the transition from Jeremy Baker to Will Tilburg changes the tactical landscape in three distinct ways:

1. The Shift from Legislative Process to Statutory Execution

Jeremy Baker brought deep, procedural House institutional knowledge from his years as Chief of Staff to Speaker Adrienne Jones. Baker knew how to count votes and shepherd bills through committee hurdles.

Tilburg, by contrast, brings administrative execution. Lobbyists aren’t just dealing with someone who knows how a bill becomes a law; they are dealing with a lawyer-regulator who understands how statutory language gets translated into agency COMAR regulations, licensing parameters, and enforcement mechanisms. If your legislative strategy relies on vague statutory language that you hope to smooth over during rulemaking, expect much sharper scrutiny from the second floor.

2. A Dedicated Public Health & Healthcare Architect

Healthcare costs, hospital global budget revenue models, and health system solvency are poised to dominate the upcoming legislative sessions. By installing a Chief Legislative Officer with both an MPH/JD and executive experience at UMMS, Governor Moore now has an in-house policy architect who can dissect complex healthcare legislation without relying solely on department briefings. For hospital systems, insurers, and medical trade groups, the bar for technical advocacy just got significantly higher.

3. The Gaming & Regulatory Intersect

With Jeremy Baker moving to head the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency and Tilburg taking over legislative affairs, the administration now features two highly capable policy minds overseeing the intersection of state revenue, gaming regulation, and legislative policy.

For major industry players—from casino operators like Cordish to sports betting platforms and lottery contractors—this dual appointment signifies an administration tightening its grip on regulatory oversight while ensuring direct political alignment between state gaming revenues and legislative budget priorities.

The Bottom Line

Will Tilburg may indeed be “one of the nicest people” in state government, but make no mistake: his appointment indicates that the Moore administration is moving from political consensus-building to technical execution and administrative precision.

If you are pitching the second floor in 2027, bring data, bring tight statutory language, and be prepared to answer how your proposal works once the Governor signs the bill.