Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is tapping a former high-ranking Army officer who commanded Fort George G. Meade to be the state’s next secretary of veterans and military families.

Retired Col. Ed Rothstein spent more than three decades in the Army, including serving as garrison commander of Fort Meade from 2011 through 2013.

Since retiring from the military, Rothstein has worked in economic development and served as a Republican member of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners since 2018.

Though Rothstein described himself as “very much a Republican” who will serve under a Democratic governor, he said the work of serving people is often not partisan at all. As commissioner, he referred to his work solving problems in the community with the shorthand term of “fixing potholes.”

“And in this role, it’s the same thing: I get to fix potholes. I get to focus on veterans and military families and work to either continue the successes or minimize the failures, that’s what it’s about,” he said.

Rothstein said one area of focus will be improving housing and treatment for veterans. The state has just one residential facility, the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Southern Maryland, and he’d push for the state to build a proposed second veterans home in Sykesville.

Rothstein said he’s been forthright about his mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and wants to ensure fellow veterans have had the same community and medical support that he has had.

“We need to find resources to meet those needs,” he said.

Moore, in a statement, praised Rothstein’s qualifications.

“Ed’s track record as a distinguished Army veteran and a devoted public servant demonstrates his commitment to live mission first, people always,” Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday.

Rothstein will fill a vacancy that was created in May, when Tony Woods left the secretary’s position to work in the private sector at a technology startup.

Rothstein plans to start as acting secretary on Aug. 1, and would face a confirmation vote in the Maryland Senate when the General Assembly is next in session.

Rothstein has 16 months remaining in his term as commissioner; the county said information would be forthcoming about the process to replace him.

Five cabinet secretaries have departed the Moore administration so far this year. The others: Paul Wiedefeld, who announced last week that he’s leaving as transportation secretary at the end of the month; Kevin Anderson, the commerce secretary who was moved into an advisory role in January; Laura Herrera Scott, who resigned as health secretary in February; and Vincent Schiraldi, who was juvenile services secretary until last month.

Schiraldi and Moore have given differing accounts of the terms of Schiraldi’s departure.

This article has been updated.