Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Announces Policy Director’s Promotion to Chief of Staff
NEW CARROLLTON, Md. (January 27, 2026) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day today announced Director of the Office of Policy Development Haley Lemieux will be promoted to Chief of Staff effective February 4, as the Department’s current Chief of Staff Rosa Cruz will be leaving the agency to pursue other leadership opportunities.
“The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has an exceptional team and Haley is an excellent example of that,” said Secretary Day. “Her many contributions at the agency reflect the leadership and readiness she brings to her new position as she continues to advance our mission and goals.”
Lemieux joined the Department in 2023 as the inaugural Director of the Office of Policy Development. Prior to joining the Department, Lemieux served in a variety of roles focused on place-based community development within state and local government across the country, including for the State of New Jersey and the City of San Antonio. She holds a Master in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford.
In her role, Lemieux has led the Office of Policy Development in advancing the Moore-Miller Administration’s ambitious housing and community development policy agenda, reflecting the State’s increased leadership in addressing the housing crisis. She played a central role in the development, passage, and implementation of Governor Moore’s 2024 housing legislative package. Lemieux directed the Department’s work to implement the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act and oversaw the launch of the Maryland Community Investment Corporation (MCIC), Maryland’s first state-sponsored Community Development Entity designed to unlock federal resources and catalyze investment in underserved communities.
She also shaped Governor Moore’s “Housing Starts Here” executive order, a statewide strategy to accelerate housing production by identifying state-owned land for development, reducing permitting timelines, and establishing coordinated production targets across jurisdictions. This winter, Lemieux’s team developed and published the Department’s first statewide housing targets in accordance with the executive order. In 2025, Lemieux’s team secured a competitive $6.94 million award through HUD’s PRO Housing program to cut red tape, expedite permitting processes, and support local housing production strategies across Maryland.
Through Lemieux’s direction, the Office of Policy Development has elevated Maryland’s role as a national leader in housing policy, advancing data-driven strategies and cross-government collaboration to expand housing opportunities, strengthen community resilience, and make housing more affordable for residents across the state.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue advancing the Department’s mission in this new capacity,” said Lemieux. “I look forward to working with Secretary Day and my exceptional DHCD colleagues to strengthen how we deliver for Marylanders and advance our shared commitment to expanding housing availability and affordability across the state.”
Lemieux succeeds Cruz, who joined the Department as chief of staff in 2023. In her time serving as chief of staff, Cruz has increased the efficiency of the Office of the Secretary’s administrative functions, implemented initiatives that have strengthened the Department’s ties with external partners and improved internal engagement. She implemented the Department’s Day Trip series, in which Secretary Day and Department staff met with hundreds of public officials and residents in every county in the state about their current needs while visiting businesses, affordable housing projects and lovable places over the last two years.
Cruz has worked closely with the Department’s partners to identify and execute opportunities for collaboration and information-sharing, including establishing regular meeting cadences that supported the Department’s goals to address the affordable housing crisis and create more lovable places.
“We are deeply grateful for everything Rosa has contributed during her tenure and know her talents will continue to shine in her next role,” said Secretary Day. “While she is moving on from the Department, her work has made us better, and she departs with our deepest thanks and as a continued champion for the work we do.”
Prior to her role at the Department, Cruz served in various communications positions, including as Vice President of Communications for the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation and at various Maryland state agencies, including the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Governor’s Press Office.
Her professional experience also includes serving in television news production for several media outlets on the East Coast including ESPN, Fox News’ DC bureau and local news stations in Baltimore, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia.
“It’s been such a privilege to work alongside this leadership team and a lot of fun to build the foundation to support its important work,” said Cruz. “That said, it really is the right moment for me to explore new leadership opportunities where I can contribute and transform.”
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development transforms communities into places people want to call home. Through investments in community-led placemaking, housing and small business development, infrastructure and broadband deployment, we partner with local government, nonprofits, and private sector stakeholders to make great places. For more information about the Department’s leadership team and to see their biographies, visit the Department’s website.
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