Ms. Spaulding is a human services management consultant, community volunteer, and organizer.

She is the former Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Executive Director of Wake County Human Services. She has more than 34 years of combined state and local county government experience. Maria has served on the Triangle Learning Consortium Advisory Board, the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs, and Wake County Public School Safe Schools Committee.

She is one of three co-founders of Healing Transitions (formerly known as the Wake County Healing Place) and served on its initial Board of Directors.