Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Announces New Division of Business Development
Brad Fallon named new division’s Assistant Secretary
New Carrollton, MD. (July 15, 2025) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today announced the creation of the Division of Business Development, a new area of the Department that will focus entirely on new or expanding small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Sustainable Communities and Priority Funding Areas throughout the state.
The Division of Business Development will focus on growing Maryland’s business community and oversee the department’s flagship Neighborhood Business Works loan program. In Fiscal Year 2025, NBW closed more than 108 deals representing over $21 Million in business development and assistance. The program has recently been expanded through $198 million in federal State Small Business Credit Initiative funds, for which the Department serves as the lead state distribution agency.
The creation of this new division will allow the Department to provide greater support to new and existing businesses in Maryland by offering greater technical assistance and new tools, in addition to its slate of grants and loans.
“The work of providing capital to small businesses is critical to Maryland’s long-term economic growth,” said Secretary Jake Day. “The creation of the Division of Business Development is the natural progression of DHCD’s years of work helping entrepreneurs become successful and signals our commitment to growing small businesses in Maryland.”
Leading the division will be Brad Fallon, who will serve as the department’s newest Assistant Secretary.
Fallon most recently served as Deputy Legislative Officer to Governor Wes Moore where he primarily focused on economic development, housing and community development, business regulation, technology, cannabis, and workforce policy. In this capacity, he served as staff lead on 14 of Governor Moore’s legislative agenda items, including the Governor’s 2024 Housing Package which was composed of three bills, each of which focused on a different impact of the housing shortage and affordability crisis.
In addition to policy and government affairs roles, Fallon served as the Executive Director of the Government Efficiency Commission which reviews and provides oversight of state licensing and permitting processes to drive improvement. In 2023, he served as the State’s co-lead in implementing the adult-use cannabis industry and its three jurisdictional state agencies.
Prior to joining the Moore-Miller Administration, Fallon worked in and around the Maryland General Assembly, most recently as Chief of Staff to the House Majority Leader. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, and lives in Baltimore City.
“This is a critical moment for Maryland’s economy which presents both challenges and immense opportunities for growth and success,” said Fallon. “I’m thrilled to join the talented DHCD team to build upon the Moore-Miller Administration’s progress on attracting community investment, bolstering entrepreneurship, and boosting small businesses that catalyze lovable communities across the state.”
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