Gov. Moore taps CareFirst exec Lester Davis as next chief of staff

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield executive Lester Davis will be Gov. Wes Moore’s next chief-of-staff, Moore’s office said Monday.

Davis will start later this fall. Current Chief of Staff Fagan Harris, who last month was named the next president of the the Abell Foundation, an influential Baltimore nonprofit, will remain in his post until the end of the year.

Messages to Davis seeking comment were not immediately returned Monday.

While Davis comes to the State House from the health insurance industry, he is an experienced political and government advisor with deep roots in Baltimore. Davis served as an unpaid outside advisor to Moore’s first gubernatorial campaign in 2022, when he worked as a vice president at SKDK, a powerhouse political consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

“There is no doubt that the challenges facing our state today will require leadership of the highest caliber. With his dedication to public service and improving the lives of Marylanders, Lester Davis is precisely the leader our state needs in this critical moment,” Moore said in a statement.

“He brings a commitment to building strong partnerships, uplifting communities, and delivering data-driven results that are in lockstep with the priorities our administration has championed since day one.”

For more than a decade Davis worked in various roles at Baltimore City Hall for Bernard C. “Jack” Young, the longtime city council president who ascended to the mayor’s office in 2019 when then-Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned amid an investigation into the sales of her self-published “Healthy Holly” books. He began his career in journalism and holds a degree in journalism from Norfolk State University.

He also served on the transition teams for Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council President Zeke Cohen.

Young said he was “elated” to learn of Davis’ impending move to the State House. Davis always provided steady guidance in the years he worked for Young, the former mayor said.

“Lester has a calm demeanor about him. He knows how to get compromises. Lester is a listener and Lester gets things done,” Young said.

Young said Davis was particularly valuable during a ransomware attack on City Hall systems early in his tenure, then during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic after that.

“I might not agree with everything Lester told me to do,” Young said. But in the end, Davis was usually right, including when it came to advising the mayor on how to deal with reporters he felt were unfair to him.

In those cases, Young said, “Lester protected me from myself.”

“Lester would say: ‘No, here’s what you’re going to say,’” Young recalled.

Political consultant Alexandra Hughes described Davis as a “total pro” who “understands the Maryland political landscape as well as anyone in the state.”

Hughes, who is also a CareFirst board member, said Davis has an ability to identify and address pressing issues.

“We’re a $13 billion company,” Hughes said, “But [Davis] can triage the things that matter in the moment versus the things that matter later.”

In his current job, Davis serves as chief of staff to CareFirst CEO Brian D. Pieninck. In a statement, Pieninck called Davis an “invaluable partner,” who brought a steady hand to work.

“I hold deep respect for his character and the example he sets and am confident that Governor Moore and all Marylanders will benefit greatly from his leadership,” Pieninck said.

Davis will have to hit the ground running. Moore has said he is running for reelection, another tough budget battle looms and the legislative session is sure to test the governor’s mettle.

In an interview last month, Harris said the reason he was staying on through the end of the year was to ensure a “thoughtful transition” for his successor.

Harris said he wants to “make sure that individual is set up for success, and the government doesn’t miss a beat.”

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the year Jack Young became mayor.