The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is fortunate to employ a diverse team of talented professionals from all walks of life. This page highlights a few  of  those amazing people. 

MEET GABRIELA CORTEZ

Civil Rights Officer I

• How long have you been with the agency?: I have been with MCCR for 3 months.
• What is your role at MCCR?: As the office secretary I am in charge of screening all of the complaints that are submitted to our agency and making sure our intake office is running smoothly and efficiently.
• What are you most proud of about being a part of MCCR? Working in an agency with people who are driven to make a change in the community is what I am most proud of being a part of MCCR. My supervisors and colleagues amaze me every day with the accomplishments they reach and the goals they set for this agency. 
  
• What do MCCR's Core Values mean to you? One of MCCR's core values is Effective Communication and I believe that value is extremely important in being able to fully help our community. Effective communication is an important value to me because I believe in transparency and honesty, no matter what the situation entails; it's important to work together using effective communication.
• What do you like to do for fun?: I love watching and discussing sports, especially basketball! Go Celtics!   
• What makes you laugh/smile?: When the Celtics win!! 

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Civil Rights Officer I

• How long have you been with the agency?: I have been with MCCR for 11 months
• What is your role at MCCR?: My job entails promoting the mission and vision of MCCR with targeted trainings, events, programming and social media content.
• What are you most proud of about being a part of MCCR? When I think of what I am most proud of being a part of MCCR, I think about our amazing staff. I have the best colleagues ever and I am grateful to work somewhere that I am excited to be in the office alongside so many passionate people.
• What do MCCR's Core Values mean to you? MCCR's core values mean community orientation to me. They get to the root of what it means to embrace others in ways that facilitate optimal engagement.
• What do you like to do for fun?: I love to attend community-oriented events and concert hop.
• What makes you laugh/smile?: Black joy makes me smile the hardest​.

MEET BRITTANY THOMAS

Administrative Specialist II​

• How long have you been with the agency? I have been with MCCR for 3 months.
• What is your role at MCCR? My role and responsibilities are accounts payable, administrative support and EEOC officer/ADA coordinator.
• What are you most proud of about being a part of MCCR?. I am most proud of being a part of an organization full of hardworking, innovative individuals who are dedicated and passionate to the work that they do for the commission.
• What do MCCR's Core Values mean to you? The core values here mean a lot to me because it embodies the principles I live by. It is important to me to live a life of gratitude and integrity.  I love to help people and by living by our core values, it means to be a trustworthy person and find solutions for those in need.​
• What do you like to do for fun? For fun I love to play volleyball
• What makes you laugh/smile? My beautiful baby girl.
  

MEET KIM WILLIAMS

Administrative Specialist II​​

• How long have you been with the agency? I have been with MCCR for 7 months.
• What is your role at MCCR? I am a member of the Admin Unit. Besides providing the highest quality of administrative support to staff members of multiple units within the MCCR agency, I support my team members and executive staff. I contribute to an efficient operation in support of management that includes processing financial transactions; personnel duties i.e., onboarding new hires, payroll management, and prepare reports; records and inventory management, troubleshoot a range of IT and facility issues, and perform a wide variety of routine daily activities.
• What are you most proud of about being a part of MCCR? I'm proud of the fact that we are an enforcement agency charged with fighting unlawful discrimination against the protective classes, and we have the mechanisms and ability to pursue justice. We provide a safe place where people may not be able to find anywhere else. In this safe place, folks are not judged; their complaints are taken seriously, are investigated, and then judged by the law. I'm proud of my co-worker's dedication. I'm proud of MCCR's interest and effort to invest in the development of staff to be the best they can be.
• What do MCCR's Core Values mean to you? Respect, Integrity, and Effective Communication as our core values makes a strong statement to the public and to each other within our organization that we are fully committed and care how we treat one another. We join to take a stand for doing what is right! In these days in times, it is more critical than ever to overcome unlawful discrimination and embrace inclusion and diversity.
• What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy playing keyboard in the band with my husband who in my eyes is the best drummer ever. I've been a member for 22 years, which is unbelievable. The guys are like my brothers. I also enjoy spending time with my grown-up kids and grandkids, making homemade soap, crocheting, hiking through the woods, riding bikes, dancing, swimming, and reading.
• What makes you laugh/smile? Clean corny jokes make me laugh; Poking fun at myself about one of my quirks makes me laugh. My husband and son are very humorous. I also find real-life awkwardness funny in different types of relationships whether it be work related or family time when we are roasting each other.