About Sarah Wolek
Democratic Delegate Representing District 16
My Why
With experience, I have come to believe that our world changes for the better by moving two main levers.
The first lever we can move is the kind of person we choose to become. That means living lives that are authentic to us, where we show up with kindness and integrity, seek out and live our purpose, cultivate meaningful relationships and belonging, contribute and connect to our community, and honor our planet. We often overlook this, but our individual mindset, character, and actions are the fundamental unit of change.
The other way change happens of course, is by shaping systems and institutions that govern our lives so that each one of us can reach our full potential as human beings. It is the desire to build such systems that fuels my passion to serve as your delegate- because helping each other live lives that are joyful, fulfilling, and purposeful is ultimately what this journey is all about.
Biography
Sarah Wolek graduated from Wootton High School in Montgomery County, Maryland and then went on to earn a BS in Decision Information Sciences and a BA in Economics, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. She pursued graduate education at Columbia University, where she earned an MBA, and at the University of Chicago, where she earned an MA in Public Policy.
Driven by a desire to make a positive impact in the world, she joined the federal government and spent over a decade working at various agencies including the White House Office of Management and Budget, the United States Mission to the United Nations, the US Department of Treasury, the US Department of Commerce, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. In doing so, she became knowledgeable about a variety of policy issues and developed expertise in budget, management, and policy development and implementation.
Sarah ultimately left the federal government because she felt called to push back and resist the policies being put forward by the first Trump Administration. She got involved in local politics, first running to represent District 16 on the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. She won that race in 2018 by 67.8% of the vote. Simultaneously, she began teaching at the University of Maryland, College Park where she spent the next seven years creating and delivering courses on self-leadership, wellbeing, and human flourishing, ultimately becoming a full-time faculty member at the Smith School of Business.
But working on systems change called once more, and she joined the Maryland State Legislature in April of 2023. Currently she serves on the House Appropriations Committee covering education and economic development budget and policy issues. She is the Co-Chair of the Montgomery County House Democratic Caucus, a role to which she was unanimously elected by her colleagues. In addition, she serves on the Joint Committee on Pensions and is an Executive Board Member of the Women Legislators of Maryland.
Together with her husband, she is raising three children in Bethesda.