MPA Interim Executive Director Samantha J. Biddle
Samantha J. Biddle was appointed as Maryland Port Administration Interim Executive Director effective August 2026. Prior, she served as the Maryland Deputy Transportation Secretary since 2023. During that time, she also served as Acting Secretary from August 2025 until mid-December 2025 following the departure of then-Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. Interim Executive Director Biddle has spent nearly two decades in the transportation industry, serving both the public and private sector.
As Deputy Secretary, she served as a member of the Secretary’s cabinet and as the primary liaison to the Governor’s office, leading on policy and operational matters to ensure the successful management of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Secretary’s Office and six transportation modes spanning transit, highways, airport, port, tolling and motor vehicle services. In this role, she coordinated with internal and external stakeholders on project and policy matters including development and review of state and federal legislation, economic development opportunities, and innovative funding pursuits; oversaw development of capital and operating budgets and corresponding stakeholder messaging; monitors and supports the major infrastructure profile of MDOT; and created a people-based, department-wide narrative strategy focused on safety, positive return on investments, delivery and innovation.
Interim Executive Director Biddle joined state service in 2014, beginning as the State Highway Administration’s (SHA) Regional Planner for Frederick and Montgomery Counties. She was then promoted to Assistant Chief and Chief of Regional and Intermodal Planning, and Director of Organizational Excellence and Strategy. Following her time at SHA, she was selected to serve as Chief Strategy Officer within The Secretary’s Office and then advanced further to serve as Chief of Staff.
At Port Everglades, Mr. Daniels led a $3 billion plan to expand business lines in containers, energy, and cruise activity. Port Everglades is the 13th busiest container port in the U.S., the busiest energy port in Florida and the third busiest cruise homeport in the world.
Interim Executive Director Biddle holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Delaware and is an American Institute Certified Planner (AICP). She also completed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive Institute and SHA Advanced Leadership Program. She serves as Maryland’s voting member for AASHTO’s Transportation Policy Forum, Chair of the AASHTO Census Transportation Solutions (ACTS) technical service program, is a Director-At-Large for Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) – Baltimore Chapter and serves as a Young Professionals Program Mentor. She was named one of the Daily Record’s Maryland Top 100 Women for 2024 and named WTS Baltimore’s Woman of the Year in 2024. Prior to joining SHA, Interim Executive Director Biddle worked in the private sector as an Associate Transportation Planner with JMT Engineering for eight years. She lives in Carroll County, Maryland with her two daughters, husband, and dog. She is a runner and lifelong field hockey player, participating regularly in both local leagues and the U.S. Women’s Masters Team.
