Social Services

On January 7, 2026, the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services welcomed Jennifer Amaya Thompson, MSW as the new Director. 

After an extensive, collaborative search, Director Amaya Thompson was appointed with the approval of the Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary, Prince George’s County Executive, and with advice from the Social Services Advisory Board.

Director Amaya Thompson is a seasoned public service executive, equity strategist, and systems innovator with more than 25 years of experience advancing equitable policies, programs, and partnerships across federal, state, tribal, and community levels. Her career reflects a consistent dedication to transforming health, human services, education, and workforce systems, enabling underserved populations to access greater opportunities and achieve lasting outcomes.

Most recently, Jennifer served as Project Manager for Strategic Planning and Initiatives in the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she led enterprise-wide DEI strategies across 11 Operating and Staff Divisions, impacting a 93,000-person workforce. She advised senior leadership on organizational performance, expanded equity-driven workforce pipelines, and forged more than 40 partnerships with national institutions to strengthen public engagement and advance inclusive policies.

From 2016 to 2024, Jennifer was a Program Specialist in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Early Childhood Development/Office of Head Start, where she founded and directed the nation’s first equity workgroup center dedicated to advancing culturally and linguistically responsive practices. Through this work, she supported more than 1,600 grantees across 12 regions, impacting over 800,000 children and families, including tribal, Latino, immigrant, and migrant/seasonal populations. She also shaped federal guidance, curriculum, and technical assistance systems that elevated workforce quality and equitable access nationwide.

As Federal Project Officer for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership (2020–2024), Jennifer provided oversight for $8M–$11M in federal funding, strengthening governance frameworks that respected tribal sovereignty while ensuring compliance and accountability. She worked with 28 Tribal Colleges and 208 programs serving 28,000 children and families across 26 states—advancing language access, workforce pipelines, and tribal leadership capacity.

Prior to that experience, as Director of the Massachusetts Head Start State Collaboration Office (2008–2016), Jennifer managed $11M in grants and led state-federal initiatives that improved outcomes for Hispanic, immigrant, and low-income families. She helped establish statewide dual-language learner standards, integrated workforce development systems, and unified reporting tools that improved cross-agency collaboration and accountability.

Across these roles, Jennifer has consistently developed and implemented equity-related strategic plans that enhance organizational capacity, strengthen compliance, and improve access and outcomes for diverse and underserved populations.

Jennifer holds a Master of Social Work in Community Planning & Administration from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and International Relations from Pitzer College. She is also a Johnson & Johnson Head Start Fellow at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. She has received multiple awards, including the HHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Systems Award (2024), the HHS Diversity and Outreach Champions Award (2023–2024), and the Massachusetts State Government Outstanding Performance Award (2014).

Fluent in English and Spanish, Jennifer is a highly regarded strategist who brings cultural competence, policy expertise, and a strong commitment to advancing systems change. Through her leadership, she has continuously positioned organizations as leaders of equity, innovation, and community impact.