ANNAPOLIS — Gov.-elect Wes Moore announced Monday the first members of his leadership team. His choices include a friend and business partner, a respected legislator familiar with Maryland state government, a former Baltimore city official who once served as chief of staff for a disgraced mayor, a woman who oversees millions of dollar for one of the world’s most respected educational institutions and a lawyer who worked for the Democratic Party and a previous Maryland governor.
Moore’s staff includes:
- Chief of Staff Fagan Harris holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and American studies from Stanford University and a master of philosophy degree from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes scholar. Harris co-founded with Moore the nonprofit Baltimore Corps, where he is CEO and connects difficult-to-place individuals in full-time roles in public service and entrepreneurship. Fagain serves on the board of directors at AmeriCorps, an organization that aims to improve lives, strengthen communities,and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.
- Secretary of Appointments Tisha Edwards, who earned social work and law degrees from the University of Maryland, was the director of the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success. The office provides a myriad of resources to underprivileged families in, including COVID relief and eviction prevention funds. She was chief of staff for former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh before Pugh was sentenced to prison for malfeasance. Edwards also served temporarily as CEO for the Baltimore City public school system.
- Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management Helene Grady serves as vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer for Johns Hopkins University, where she oversees more than $1 billion in assets. Grady previously served as deputy director of finance for the city of Baltimore and as deputy budget director for the city of Philadelphia. Grady also served as vice chair of the board for the College Savings Plans of Maryland and as a member of the Maryland Health Care Commission. She graduated from La Salle University and earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.
- Chief Legal Counsel Amanda La Forge has years of experience advising on election law, election administration, campaign finance and non-profit taxation and governance. She served as chief of staff to the Maryland Higher Education Commission. La Forde, who worked as chief counsel to Moore’s gubernatorial campaign, was counsel to the Democratic National Committee. She received her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Boston University and her law degree from American University.
- Chief Legislative Officer Del. Eric Luedtke, D-Montgomery, is a native Marylander and graduate of the University of Maryland. He is the majority leader of the House of Delegates. A member of the house since 2011, Luedtke was a member of the commission that wrote the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, an education reform effort heavily supported by Moore. He currently is an associate clinical professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.
More said his appointments reflect his commitment to building a government with dynamic and innovative leaders.
“Marylanders expect us to go fast, be bold and to build a government that meets people where they are.” Moore said Monday. “To do that, we must enlist leaders who are not only exceedingly competent, but innovative and hard-charging as we rebuild government to meet the urgent needs families face and make Maryland more competitive.”
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