Governor-elect Wes Moore has announced additions to his legislative office and named his director of communications.
In December the Governor-elect tapped Eric Luedtke to serve as his Chief Legislative Officer. He has now named the team that will work under Luedtke as part of his legislative office. The team of Deputy Legislative Officers will include June Chung, Brad Fallon, Myles Hicks, Saif Ratul, and Melissa Ross.
Background on the deputy legislative officers from the press release:
June Chung
“June Chung is currently a policy analyst with the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) and serves in both the bill drafting and committee staff functions. For the last two sessions, she served as committee counsel for the House Appropriations Committee, staffing the Health and Social Services Subcommittee, Oversight Committee on Pensions, and Oversight Committee on Personnel. She drafts in subject areas of tax, pensions, education, health, human services, labor and employment, and budget process. During the interim, she also staffs the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee and the Joint Committee on Pensions.
Before joining DLS, June graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School in 2018 after taking a career break. Prior to the break, she first worked as a history teacher for six years in Pennsylvania and Virginia, using her bachelor’s degree in sociology and master’s degree in education. In a move towards law school, she worked as a legal secretary and administrative assistant at law firms in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, respectively.”
Brad Fallon
“Brad Fallon is a passionate public servant who has worked in and around the Maryland General Assembly since 2017 in a variety of policy and electoral campaign roles. Most recently, Brad served as House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke’s Chief of Staff where he helped to shape a diverse array of policies impacting Marylanders. From his position as a top staffer to a member of House leadership, Brad gained a well-rounded view of the key issues and players that drive Maryland politics. In 2022, Brad worked tirelessly for the House Democratic Caucus to help strengthen the Democratic majority.”
Myles Hicks
“Myles is thrilled to join the Moore/Miller Administration as Deputy Legislative Director. He’s spent his career honing his leadership skills and building a network across a variety of industry sectors. Most recently, Myles served as the Executive Director of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence (MPGV). MPGV tackles the issue of gun violence from various angles, using data and research to guide organizational initiatives. In this role, Myles promoted safer communities across Maryland by co-leading the Maryland Violence Prevention Coalition and oversaw the Liberty Elementary School Grief Support Program.
Before joining MPGV, Myles served as the Executive Director of Maryland Rise, a nonprofit working to promote economic opportunity for all Marylanders. As part of Maryland Rise, he became an active member of the Fair Funding Coalition and Campaign Manager of the Time to Care Coalition and advocated for legislation that supported economic security. He played a key role in passing the Time to Care Act, statewide paid family and medical leave legislation that will benefit millions of Maryland workers. Myles began his career in consulting with MD Strategic Consulting. This role took Myles across the country, covering a variety of industries including real estate development, fundraising, and community organizing.”
Saif Raul
“Saif Ratul is a veteran political campaign operative with nearly a decade of experience in highly competitive Democratic campaigns across the country. Most recently, Ratul served as the Coordinated Campaign Director for the Maryland Democratic Party that achieved historic electoral milestones, including electing the first Black Governor, successfully defending down-ballot swing races, and increasing the Democratic majority in both state legislative chambers.
Prior to serving as the Coordinated Campaign Director, Ratul served as the Director of Political Engagement for the Wes Moore for Maryland Gubernatorial campaign, where he utilized his political relationships and advocacy skills to promote the campaign’s political and policy priorities. Ratul also worked on several Maryland and National Campaigns, including Biden for President, Amy Klobuchar for President, Chris Van Hollen for U.S. Senate, and others.”
Melissa Ross
“Melissa Ross began her career with the state as a member of the Chief Clerk’s Office in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1995. In 2006, after having taken some time off to focus on raising her young son, Melissa became staff for the Maryland Senate and spent the next ten years fine-tuning her legislative knowledge and skills – first in the Secretary of the Senate’s Office under President Mike Miller; and then as Assistant to Chair Joan Carter Conway in the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Most recently, Melissa has spent the past six years in the executive branch, building upon her legislative foundation as an Office Manager and Deputy Legislative Officer in the Governor’s Legislative Office. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from McDaniel College and a M.A. in History from Washington College. Also a certified teacher, she previously taught middle school World History, as well as U.S. History and Government at the college level.”
Additionally, Moore has named David Turner to serve as Director of Communications.
“David Turner most recently served as Communications Director for the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). He was previously the DGA’s Deputy Communications Director in 2018. Previously, he was the Communications Director for Governor Ralph Northam’s successful gubernatorial campaign in Virginia, Communications Director in Missouri for Attorney General Chris Koster’s gubernatorial campaign, spokesman for Senator Mark Warner’s re-election campaign in Virginia, and Communications Director for Barbara Buono’s gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey. He has worked in Democratic politics since 2008. He graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in History, and grew up in Los Angeles.”
Read the full press release to learn more.