Joseline Peña-Melnyk
Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk serves as the 109th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, making history as the first Afro-Latina and first immigrant in the nation to lead a state legislative chamber. First elected to represent District 21 in 2006, she has spent nearly two decades passionately advocating for working families across Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. Prior to her historic election as Speaker, she served as an attorney, a College Park City Councilmember, and the influential Chair of the House Health and Government Operations Committee. Throughout her legislative career, she has sponsored and passed more than 100 bills into law, spearheading pioneering, national-model initiatives dedicated to civil rights, health equity, and affordable healthcare access. Today, Speaker Peña-Melnyk continues to lead the House of Delegates with a steadfast commitment to bipartisan cooperation, economic fairness, and uplifting Maryland's most vulnerable communities.