Committee advances Jossea Terese Falcon to second reader for Baltimore City human resources post

The Committee on Legislative Investigations voted to advance the nomination of Jossea Terese Falcon to second reader for Director and Chief Human Capital Officer of the Baltimore City Department of Human Resources (EA26-0139), following a 4–0 roll-call vote with one member absent.

Falcon, who identified herself as Jossea Terese Falcon and was nominated by Mayor Scott, opened the hearing by describing her path from upstate New York to a legal education and a decade in public service. She cited roles at Montgomery College, where she led collective bargaining and grievance work, and seven years as chief of staff at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP), saying those experiences prepared her to lead citywide HR work. "It is an honor and a responsibility that I take seriously," Falcon said.

Council members focused questioning on the speed and consistency of city hiring and separation processes, manager training, and how promotions are awarded. Chair Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer asked why the city hires slowly and separates employees more slowly than the private sector and what DHR can do to fix that. Falcon said the city needs standardized recruitment, clearer candidate communications and stronger onboarding, and that managers must be trained and supported so they can give feedback and act when employees are not a fit.

Councilman Gray raised a concern that promotions sometimes reward longevity rather than merit: "Sometimes we're hiring based on the longevity of a person and not their actual skills," he said. Falcon said she would expand internal talent pipelines and succession planning tools used at BCRP, including a LEAD program cohort and opportunities for employees to self-identify skills and aspirations in Workday. She proposed mentorships and short rotations — a "bungee" program — to give staff needed exposure to other agency functions.

On labor relations, Falcon described extensive collective-bargaining and arbitration experience, including a Cornell University labor arbitration course, and said she prefers early collaboration with union representatives. "We are not adversaries," she said of unions, adding that bringing union reps into conversations early improves outcomes.

Dr. Reginald Moore, Executive Director of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, testified in support of the nomination, citing Falcon’s management of complex operations and work with labor and agency leaders. Falcon gave short closing remarks emphasizing her personal commitment to Baltimore, noting she and her family live in the city.

A motion to advance the nomination was moved by Councilman Gray and seconded by Vice President Middleton. Chair Schleifer called the roll: Schleifer — yes; Glover — absent; Dorsey — yes; Middleton — yes; Gray — yes. The motion passed 4–0. The committee directed that the nomination be placed on second reader at the next Council meeting in 56 minutes.

Next steps: the nomination will appear for second reader at the full Council meeting; no further committee votes were recorded in this hearing.