Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS)

05/28/2026

Join us in celebrating our VP of Government Relations Gregory Snyder on being honored with the Lorraine Sheehan / Bernard A. Gould Award for Governmental Affairs Service by The Arc Maryland! We are grateful for Greg’s deep commitment to Marylanders with developmental disabilities and community providers, and his tireless work to ensure funding and policies that support excellence and opportunity for all. Congratulations to all of the award winners, including Senator Craig Zucker and Delegate Aaron Kaufman. And lastly, kudos to our partner The Arc Maryland and their entire team, including Executive Director Ande Kolp, on putting on a wonderful convention!

05/22/2026

Each year, the Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) recognizes Direct Support Professionals and frontline supervisors whose dedication strengthens Maryland’s community services system.

Our 2026 honorees represent the very best of this work. They support people with compassion, lead through difficult moments, mentor coworkers, and help create stronger and more inclusive communities every day. Some have spent decades in the field, while others are newer to this important work and already making a lasting impact.

What connects all of them is the trust they have earned from the people they support, families, colleagues, and the communities they serve.

We also want to thank Deputy Secretary Marlana Hutchinson from the Maryland Department of Health - Developmental Disabilities Administration and Assistant Secretary Kim McKay from the Maryland Department of Disabilities for joining us to help recognize and celebrate our DSPs and frontline supervisors.

MACS is proud to celebrate our 2026 DSPs and Supervisors of the Year and grateful for the extraordinary work happening across Maryland’s provider network every day!

05/21/2026

MACS is excited to welcome so many committed Direct Support Professionals and frontline supervisors to the 2026 DSP & Supervision Conference!

This conference is about more than training. It is a chance to learn from one another and recognize the people who show up every day to support others with compassion and professionalism.

There is something powerful about being surrounded by people who have dedicated their careers to helping others live full lives in their communities.

Thank you, DSPs and supervisors!

05/17/2026

We at MACS are deeply saddened by the passing of our founding Executive Director Diane McComb. Diane was a visionary leader in the field of developmental disabilities, and embodied the dna of MACS, which exists to this day— that our advocacy is driven by what is best for Marylanders with developmental disabilities. She was a passionate champion of direct support professionals, leading the way on the first major breakthrough in community funding with the DSP Wage Initiative in 2002. Diane left MACS in 2003 when she was appointed by the Governor to be the first Deputy Secretary of the MD Department of Disabilities, and then moved on to other positions, including her role at ANCOR working with IDD state association execs across the country. Through it all, Diane approached her work and relationships with extraordinary kindness. We thank Diane for all that she did for people with IDD, their families, DSPs, community providers, and MACS.

View Diane McComb's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to The Arc Baltimore and CEO Kathleen Durkin on an inspiring annual meeting and awards ceremony tonight. And an extra shout out to Kathleen on her 25 years of service to The Arc Baltimore, and to Christopher Knoerlein on winning the Visionary Leadership Award, as well as to all of the deserving award winners!

05/02/2026

Congratulations to all of the The Arc Maryland award winners, including our very own Gregory Snyder II! Greg’s work is always rooted in his commitment to Marylanders with developmental disabilities, and we are thrilled that his passion and work are being recognized by The Arc this year. We can’t wait to celebrate Greg and all of the deserving winners!

04/29/2026

This legislative session brought real challenges for Maryland’s developmental disabilities community, making this progress especially meaningful.

Yesterday, Governor Wes Moore enacted the Maryland Protecting People with Disabilities Act and Ralph’s Act, advancing reforms that will improve how services are accessed and maintained across the state.

The Maryland Protecting People with Disabilities Act strengthens safeguards in Medicaid by requiring timely eligibility decisions, enforcing federal standards, preventing inappropriate waiver disenrollments, and reducing improper terminations caused by administrative issues. Ralph’s Act creates a clear pathway for people with developmental disabilities who must relocate to Maryland after the loss of a primary caregiver, prioritizing access to services during times of crisis.

MACS is proud to work alongside our members and partners across the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition and thanks the bill sponsors for their leadership, including Senator Guy Guzzone, Senator Craig Zucker, Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, Delegate Sarah Wolek, and Delegate Jared Solomon.

04/23/2026

MACS is proud to sponsor the Maryland Disability Forum’s voter education workshops, advancing the fundamental right of people with disabilities to participate fully in our democracy.

Access to voting is a civil right. People with disabilities must have equitable access to information, resources, and the voting process to make their own choices.

These workshops will include:
• Accessible voting options
• Rights of people with disabilities as voters
• Information to support informed decision-making

Updated Dates and Locations:
• April 30 – Aberdeen (The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region)
• May 9 – Ellicott City (Maryland School for the Deaf)
• May 14 – Silver Spring (SEEC, 1 pm and 5:30 pm sessions)
• May 20 – Salisbury (Lower Shore Enterprises)
• June 10 – Frederick (Spinners Pinball Arcade)
• June 25 – Waldorf (The Arc Southern Maryland)
• August 27 – Hagerstown (The Arc of Washington County)

Learn more and register: https://www.maryland-disabilities-forum.org/events/

04/18/2026

MACS applauds the statement by ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill In response to the damaging statements made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. regarding the value of home and community based supports for people with developmental disabilities.

The undervaluing of HCBS demeans the very real, complex, and difficult work that caregivers—whether paid or unpaid—provide.

04/14/2026

The Maryland Protecting People with Disabilities Act (SB 742 / HB 1445) has just received final passage in the General Assembly and is heading to the Governor for his signature.

This legislation is about protecting people with disabilities from losing critical services due to administrative errors. It requires the State to follow federal timelines, prevents improper terminations, and ensures Medicaid and waiver services are restored when coverage is wrongly ended.

For too long, people with disabilities have experienced sudden and unjust disruptions to essential supports like residential services, employment, and healthcare. This bill puts stronger safeguards in place and brings greater accountability to the system.

Thank you to Senator Guy Guzzone, Senator Craig Zucker, and Delegate Sarah Wolek for their leadership.