The deputy director of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works is leaving his job next month.
Richard Luna joined DPW in 2022 and served for a time as interim director. Bryan Doherty, a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Scott, confirmed Luna was leaving his position effective Oct. 3.
Khalil Zaied is the agency’s acting director and was nominated by Scott to the position in March this year.
Luna’s departure was first reported by WBAL-TV. A city official told The Banner that Luna’s departure is a personal decision, not one related to his work or performance at DPW.
Luna’s departure comes as the department is under intense scrutiny following the heat-related death of Ronald Silver II, a sanitation worker. Critics, including family members, called Silver’s death “completely preventable.”
In an emailed statement, Scott thanked Luna for his “tireless” work in city government.
“He stepped up to lead DPW at a critical time, helping to lead the agency through both challenging times and exciting progress, like the return of weekly recycling,” Scott wrote. “We are excited for him in this next chapter of his journey and will sorely miss his voice and expertise in City government.”
Previously, Luna served as an adviser for the District of Columbia’s office of the assistant city administrator for internal services and as deputy city administrator in Oakland, California.
City officials hired a D.C.-based law firm, Conn Maciel Carey, to provide recommendations for improving safety policies, practices and procedures at DPW in the wake of Silver’s death.
At the same time, that firm is leading an organized, multi-industry trade group seeking to weaken heat safety regulations being proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That connection generated more criticism for the city’s response to conditions at the Department of Public Works, with one union official likening it to having a “fox guarding the henhouse.”
The Banner’s Penelope Blackwell contributed to this story.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the name of the Conn Maciel Carey law firm.
