(NewsNation) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is leading cleanup and recovery efforts following the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge, is considered a “rising star” in Washington, D.C., circles, sources tell NewsNation.

The 45-year-old has been front and center when it comes to the response to the tragedy in Baltimore that happened last month.

But he has more to his resume than that.

A Maryland native, Moore served in the Army, where he was deployed to Afghanistan as a captain with the 82nd Airborne Division. After his time in the military, Moore played football at Johns Hopkins University.

He worked as an investment banker and created his own television production company before founding BridgeU, a Baltimore-based company that aimed to help students transition to college, in 2014. Later, Moore became the CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, one of the largest anti-poverty organizations in the United States.

It was at the 2008 Democratic National Convention that Moore came onto the political scene supporting former President Barack Obama. Then, in 2023, he became Maryland’s first Black governor and America’s third overall.

The big test of Moore’s office, though, came just last week, when Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.

Moore told NewsNation during a Thursday appearance on “CUOMO” that he has been in touch with the White House and President Joe Biden ever since.

Six people died in the bridge collapse, and the economic impact will likely take a toll: every day the port is closed could cost Baltimore up to $15 million in economic activity.

Recovery operations following the massive bridge collapse in Baltimore have been a “remarkably complex mission,” Moore told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo.

“I can’t overstate the level of devastation that this collapse has had,” Moore said. “It’s really unprecedented when you have a ship that is literally the size of the Eiffel Tower and the weight of the Washington Monument that is now sitting trapped in the middle of the Patapsco River.”