Mayor Scott Nominates Keane, Southard, Kennedy for Housing and Planning Posts

Timothy Keane, the city’s Planning Director, has been nominated by Mayor Brandon M. Scott to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development and will begin serving as Acting Commissioner effective March 2, 2026 while awaiting City Council confirmation. The move positions Keane to lead DHCD’s work during the next phases of Baltimore’s housing and vacancy reduction efforts.

Mayor Scott announced his intent to nominate Keane, Renata “Ren” Southard as Planning Director, and Alice Kennedy as Executive Director of Community Affairs and Engagement on February 18, 2026. The administration set March 2, 2026 as the effective date for all three assignments and said the nominees will serve in acting capacities until the City Council completes confirmation hearings.

Renata Southard was selected after a six-month, local and national search concluded by the mayor’s office. Southard’s nomination to lead the Department of Planning takes effect March 2, 2026, and she will serve as Acting Planning Director pending Council action. CityBiz reported that if confirmed by the City Council, Southard would be the first female Planning Director in Baltimore’s history.

Alice Kennedy, currently Commissioner of DHCD, will move into a newly created role in the Mayor’s Office as Executive Director of Community Affairs and Engagement, starting March 2, 2026. City officials had previously disclosed that Commissioner Kennedy would step down from DHCD to take a position within the Scott administration, and the city’s announcement frames the change as part of a broader reorganization of housing and planning leadership.

Mayor Scott directed Keane and Southard to conduct an extensive examination of the structure of the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Planning and to recommend strategic changes to maximize city resources. That examination is explicitly to include an assessment of a potential merger of the two agencies as part of efforts tied to planning, permitting, and community development in Baltimore’s vacancy reduction strategy.

Mayor Scott placed the personnel moves in the context of the city’s vacancy work, saying, "Baltimore is becoming a pioneer in housing and community development, literally breaking new ground in our work to overcome a challenge that has plagued our city for generations: the vacants crisis." He added, "As we accelerate that work and continue looking for innovative ways to drive Baltimore’s renaissance forward, I am grateful to have such dedicated housing, community development, and planning experts leading the way."

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day praised the reorganization in the city release, saying, "Mayor Scott's reimagining of the housing and planning departments will form a stronger, more coordinated approach to tackling the key issues driving the City and State's shared vacancy reduction strategy. Tim's leadership and experience make him uniquely suited to lead at this moment of transformation, with a clear understanding of how planning and housing must work together to deliver lasting, neighborhood-level impact."

The administration frames the nominations and the ordered review as a pivotal moment for Baltimore’s housing and vacancy reduction efforts, with Keane, Southard, and Kennedy beginning their new roles on March 2 and serving as acting officials until the City Council takes up confirmation.