Member of House of Delegates since January 12, 2022. Deputy Majority Whip, 2024-. Member, Judiciary Committee, 2022- (civil law & procedure subcommittee, 2022-; public safety subcommittee, 2023-); Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 2023-. 2nd Vice-Chair, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 2022- (member, 2022-). Member, Women Legislators of Maryland, 2022-.

Member, County Council, Prince George's County, representing District 7, December 6, 2010 to December 3, 2018. Member, Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee, 2011-14 (chair, 2013); Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee, 2011-18 (vice-chair, 2011-12, 2013-14). Chair, Health, Education and Human Services Committee, 2014-17. Member, Rules and General Assembly Committee, 2016 (chair, 2012). Chair, Transportation, Housing and the Environment Committee, 2017-18 (member, 2011-15; vice-chair, 2011-12).

Board of Health, Prince George’s County, 2010-18. Member, Historic and Cultural Trust, Prince George's County, 2009-18.

Board of Directors, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, 2011-17. Chair, Human Services Policy Committee, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, 2017-18 (member, 2016-).

Director, Community Affairs, and Legislative Advisor, Office of State's Attorney, Prince George's County, 2020-.

Born in Prince George's County, Maryland. Attended Prince George's County public schools; Forestville High School, Forestville, Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park, B.S. (public health), 2000; University of Baltimore Law School, J.D. President, Paramount Policy Partners, 2019-. Political and legislative coordinator and organizer, Maryland Council no. 67, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Program specialist, United Mine Workers of America, 2000-07. Regional field coordinator, Democratic National Committee, 2008-10. Member, U.S. Census Complete Count Committee, Prince George's County, 2010. Maryland State Director, President Obama's National Day of Service, 2009. President, Maryland County Officials Diversity Caucus, Maryland Association of Counties, 2015-. Leadership Greater Washington, 2017. Board of Directors, Ivy Community Charities of Prince George's County. Member, Suitland Civic Association. Member, Iota Gamma Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Community Service Award, J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, 2013. Leadership and Service Award, A. Philip Randolph Institute, 2014. Shining Woman of the Year Award, Community of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2014. Sheila Stewart Service Award, 100 Black Men of Prince George's County, 2018. Member, Episcopal Church of the Atonement, Washington, DC.

Dr. Ron Watson, born and raised in Prince George’s County, currently serves as State Senator for the 23rd Legislative District in the Maryland General Assembly.  Ron was appointed to the Maryland Senate on August 27, 2021, by Gov. Larry Hogan to fill the vacancy created by Douglas Peters, who resigned July 31, 2021.  He was re-elected to the Senate on  November 8, 2022. He is the Vice Chairman of the  Prince George's Senate Delegation. He serves on the Education, Energy and Environment Committee, and was appointed to the Joint Committee on Cyber, Biotech and Information Technology for the state of Maryland.

Prior to serving as Senator, he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018 where he served on the Judiciary Committee.

Before being elected to the House of Delegates, Ron was elected to the Prince George's County Board of Education and served as Vice-Chairman from 2007 - 2010.  In this capacity he spearheaded many programs to enhance the learning experience for students to be successful. One program Ron established with the assistance of the School board was “Connecting Generations". This initiative was a county-wide mentoring program designed to improve student success and build social skills by pairing a student with an adult mentor.

Ron had a distinguished military career spanning 14 years as an Army Signal Officer and served on active duty to support Operation Enduring Freedom.  Upon leaving military service he started, and is the President of, Watson Management Corporation (WMC).  WMC is a locally based business management consulting company, which provides support to the Department of Defense (DOD) and other government agencies in Business Operations, Program Management, Quality Assurance, and Process Improvement. Ron has been working as a consultant to the DOD for over 30 years.

Ron has a strong educational background and is a firm believer in life-long learning.  His educational background includes:

• PhD - Systems Engineering, Binghamton University

• MS - Advanced Technology, Binghamton University

• MBA - Business Administration, George Washington University

• BS - Electrical Engineering, Morgan State University

• Leadership Maryland, 2008

​Ron has a long history of community service. He is currently a member of Engineering Executive Council in the School of Engineering at Morgan State University.  He has served as District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America for Prince George’s County, as well as a Board Member of the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce.  He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and has served on Bowie State University's Foundation Board.  He is 33rd degree Prince Hall Mason, and a member of  the Charles H. Wesley Lodge #147 located in Bowie Maryland, a member of I.H. Clayborn Consistory #363 in Columbia and a Shriner with Mecca Temple #10 in Washington, D.C..  He is a veteranb and a life-member of Disney-Bell American Legion Post 66 in Bowie, a member of First Baptist Church of Glenarden, and the husband of Ingrid S. Watson, Councilmember of Prince George's County Council. 

Joyce King is Chief Counsel at the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office. She is the Chief Prosecutor of the Frederick County Cybercrimes Taskforce, Co-Chair of the Maryland Statewide Organized Retail Crime Task Force and serves on the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Ms. King is a board member for the National District Attorneys Association and is cross designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood.

In addition to state and federal prosecutions, Ms. King manages finances, operations, and communications of the State’s Attorney’s Office. She provides legal counsel for multi-agency criminal justice policy initiatives and projects. Ms. King Co-Chairs the Maryland State’s Attorney Association Special Victims Unit Committee and the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force Legislative Committee, championing legislative changes to protect victims. Ms. King also started a 501(c)3 Project Ligtas Bata (PLB) is a web-based international campaign to combat the commercial and online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines. Ms. King is also the President of the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Foundation of Maryland, the only recovery high school in Maryland. Ms. King is an alumnus of George Washington University, American University: Women & Politics Institute, David A. Clarke School of Law, and EMERGE Maryland

Paul Halliday is the Chief of the Organized Crime Unit in the Criminal Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Co-Chair of the Maryland Statewide Organized Retail Crime Task Force.  In the last year, his Unit has indicted eight individuals in three separate, multi-jurisdictional retail theft patterns – totaling over $1,000,000 in losses to retailers.  Paul has been a prosecutor in Maryland for the last 10 years, first with the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office, then with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, before joining the Office of the Attorney General in 2020.  Paul graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park as well as the Georgetown University Law Center where he currently coaches trial advocacy teams in competitions around the country.

Aaron B. Hale, Esq. is a native of eastern Pennsylvania, but he moved to Virginia in 2010 seeking new experiences and warmer weather. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked in both the food-service and transportation industries. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020, and earned his J.D. from the College of William & Mary in 2023. He currently works as a prosecutor in the Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Sarah Price is the Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs for the Maryland Retailers Alliance. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature and History from the University of Maryland. She began her career in Annapolis interning at the Maryland General Assembly before working as a legislative Chief of Staff. She joined the MRA team in 2019.

Phil Johnson is a seasoned leader with over a decade of experience driving results and building meaningful partnerships across the retail industry. Based out of Boston, Phil has built a reputation for fostering strong, trusted relationships with both law enforcement and industry partners, strengthening collaboration and elevating performance across the United States. Known for a people-first leadership style and a relentless focus on results, Phil continues to set the standard for what effective, relationship-driven leadership looks like in retail today.

Detective William Carter began his career with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) in 2019. He initially served as a Patrol Officer from 2019 to 2022, gaining foundational experience in various police operations. From 2022 to 2024, Detective Carter was assigned to the Tysons Urban Team, where his focus was primarily on complex cases involving organized retail theft and fraud. This experience honed his investigative skills and his ability to dismantle sophisticated criminal enterprises. His dedication led to a transfer to the Major Crimes Bureau in 2024. He first served with the Child Abuse Squad (2024-2025), working diligently to protect the county’s most vulnerable population. Since 2025, Detective Carter has been a valued member of the Major Crimes Bureau Child Exploitation Unit. He continues to serve the Fairfax community by pursuing justice for children and combating serious felony crimes.

Andres Oliveri began his career with TJX Companies in 2017, serving as a Loss Prevention Associate for TJ Maxx, where he primarily supported the Tysons Corner location. In 2020, he transitioned to the corporate side of the organization, joining the TJX Loss Prevention Training Department as a Training Specialist, where he helped shape best practices and development programs for field teams nationwide. From 2021 to 2025, Andres served on the TJX National Task Force as an Organized Retail Crime Investigator based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, partnering with law enforcement and retail peers to combat complex theft networks. Today, he serves as a District Loss Prevention Supervisor with Marshalls, overseeing stores throughout the D.C. and Baltimore markets and continuing his commitment to safety, collaboration, and operational excellence across the region.

Matthew Christman proudly serves as Chairman of the Northeast Chapter of the International Association of Interviewers (IAI). As an early recipient of the Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) designation, Matthew has remained deeply committed to both his own professional growth and the ongoing development of others in the art and science of investigative interviewing.

With a career spanning 30 years in the retail industry, Matthew has held leadership roles across several best-in-class organizations including Polo Ralph Lauren, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and TJX. He also founded and led his own company dedicated to excellence in loss prevention and security.

Matthew’s career began as a Store Detective, and over the years he has served in both field and corporate capacities. His professional responsibilities—domestic and international—have included executive protection, security event planning and execution, investigations, new store development, and strategic loss prevention initiatives.

Deana McLees-Bailey, CFI, is a seasoned leader in Asset Protection and Retail Risk Management, currently serving as Sr. Director of Asset Protection at Tapestry. With over a decade of experience driving strategic initiatives across loss prevention, organized retail crime, and fraud mitigation, Deana is known for her proactive approach to security, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration.

She has built a reputation as a mentor and advocate for emerging professionals in the criminal justice and security fields. Her leadership extends beyond her corporate role through active involvement with the National Retail Federation, where she served as the Organized Retail Crime Regional Chair for the Mid-Atlantic and previously for the Midwest. She also contributes as a board member for the International Association of Interviewers (IAI) and supports Women in Loss Prevention and Women in Security - Global Connect.

Deana is passionate about creating critical experiences for future industry leaders, fostering innovation in retail security, and building resilient teams that drive measurable impact.

John is the Sr. Organized Retail Crime Investigator for Macy’s Inc New York, NY, where he manages ORC and SIU Field Operations-Strategies for NYC-Long Island, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic area. 

During his career, John has worked closely with the private sector, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States on investigations and taskforce operations to combat

Organized Retail Crime, financial crimes, cargo theft, counterfeiting and diversion. John has 25 years of investigative experience and has been recognized as an ORC subject matter expert in his field. John has been responsible for the development of investigative programs, tactics, strategies, and training for retailers and law enforcement nationally. 

Additionally, John currently serves as Director of Training Board Member for METRORCA.

Detective Sergeant Mergler is a highly experienced police officer with over 25 years at the largest local law enforcement agency in Virginia. He has a demonstrated history of working complex financial crime and organized retail crime (ORC) cases. Mergler spent over 11 years in a specialized retail theft unit, which was uniquely embedded in two of the largest shopping malls in the U.S. This experience allowed him to develop and teach the Department's sole class on Organized Retail Crime. A Virginia DCJS certified law enforcement instructor, he previously developed and taught the Department’s Holiday Anti-Theft Training curriculum for five years. Sgt. Mergler is nationally known for his successful partnerships with retailers and financial institutions in combating ORC, particularly with South American and Romani Organized Theft Groups. His expertise has led him to present at multiple major conferences, including IAFCI and CLEAR. In 2023, he earned recognition with the Loss Prevention Magazine Magpie Award and the Flock #Solved Award for his public safety partnerships. Sgt. Mergler is currently assigned to his Department’s Major Crimes Bureau – Violent Crimes Division. He also serves as the President of MAORCA and holds leadership positions with NABI, CLEAR, and METRORCA.

Cpl. Colgan Wilson began his journey with the Hampton Police Division in 1997 as a Police Explorer, sparking a lifelong passion for law enforcement. In 2001, he took on the role of a part-time Police Cadet while pursuing his college education, where he honed his skills in report writing and issuing parking tickets. By 2003, he committed fully to his career by attending the police academy and has since enjoyed a diverse range of roles, including working the road, serving as a K-9 Officer, Community Engagement Officer and as the City of Hampton Consolidated Enforcement Officer. Cpl. Wilson currently serves as the Business Improvement District Corporal. He also serves as a Negotiator for the Hampton Police Crisis Negotiation Team and is a Peer Counselor on the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team.