Margaret M. Chippendale began employment with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services on September 9, 1970 as a stenographer with the Division of Parole and Probation. She was assigned to Parole and Probation Headquarters where she worked with the Interstate Compact Unit, Warrant Unit and Mandatory Release Unit. In 1978 Ms Chippendale was transferred to the Maryland Parole Commission as an Office Supervisor where she had oversight for scheduling all parole hearings and parole releases. She was later promoted to Administrative Aide to the Maryland Parole Commission Chairperson.
In 1990 Ms Chippendale received her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Towson University. Upon graduation she accepted a position with the Inmate Grievance Commission as Associate Director. In 1992 she transferred to the Division of Correction. Between 1992 and 2002 she held positions as Hearing Officer, Case Management Specialist and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner. In 2002 Ms Chippendale was assigned to Baltimore City Correctional Center as Acting Facility Administrator. Later that year she was promoted to Facility Administrator at the Baltimore Pre-release Unit for Women (BPRUW). In late 2004 she was transferred to the Jessup Pre-release Unit (JPRU) as Facility Administrator.
On September 1, 2005 Ms Chippendale retired from State service after 35 years of service. She accepted a position with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland as Manager of Child Advocacy. In this position she had oversight for the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and the Baltimore Pre-release Unit for Women. She also was involved in initiatives at the Waxter Center for Girls and Sheppard Pratt Hospital as well as facilitating anti-violence programs in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County schools.
In August 2008 Ms Chippendale returned to State service as Facility Administrator at the Jessup Pre-release Unit where she remained until promoted to Assistant Warden of the Maryland Correctional Pre- release System in May 2010. As Assistant Warden she had oversight for Brockbridge Correctional Facility, Jessup Pre-release Unit, Central Maryland Correctional Facility, Eastern Pre-release Unit and Southern Maryland Pre-release Unit. She later had the opportunity to be involved in opening Dorsey Run Correctional Facility.
Ms Chippendale was transferred to the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) in October 2013 and was named Acting Warden on January 8, 2014. She was promoted to Warden at MCIW on April 30, 2014.
In February 2021 Ms Chippendale was transferred as Warden to the Maryland Correctional Pre-release System where she had oversight for 5 facilities. She successfully “sheltered” two of those facilities for budgetary reasons.
In February 2022 Ms Chippendale accepted a position with the Howard County Department of Corrections as Deputy Director. In this capacity she is responsible for all programming activities, medical services, religious services, pre-trial and community services, work release, re-entry and classification.
Under her leadership several new programming initiatives have been added to Howard County Detention Center.
Ms Chippendale has had extensive leadership and correctional training within the State of Maryland and nationally. She has attended many training opportunities at the National Institute of Corrections. She is a four time recipient of the Commissioner’s Citation for her work as the Department’s Y2K Coordinator, eIMS Coordinator and other special assignments at the Headquarters level. Ms Chippendale is a past Vice-President and Board member with the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association. Her accomplishments within the prison system include the development of Bridge Beyond Bars and the Clothesline Project at BPRUW and Toastmasters International and Knitting Behind Bars at JPRU. At MCIW she began a cat adoption program, introduced Vet Dogs of America and began a beekeeping program for the inmate population. In August 2019 she was instrumental in achieving ACA Accreditation for MCIW, the first facility in Jessup to receive the national accreditation. In October 2019 Warden Chippendale was named as one of the most powerful 150 women in the metropolitan area by WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE. In 2020 she was nominated Warden of the Year by the National Association of Wardens and Superintendents.