Gregg L. Bernstein announced a fresh leadership team for the Baltimore prosecutor's office Monday morning, shortly after being sworn in as city state's attorney, officially ending incumbent Patricia C. Jessamy's 15-year reign.
As previously announced, former federal prosecutor George J. Hazel and Elizabeth Embry, a former assistant state's attorney and assistant city solicitor, will make up two-thirds of the three-person team. Hazel left the U.S. Attorney's Office to become Bernstein's chief assistant state's attorney, while Embry was named executive assistant state's attorney for policy and planning.
Cecilia Januszkiewicz, a former think tank fellow and secretary of the state's Department of Budget and Management, completes the trio. She is the new executive assistant state's attorney for administration.
"My leadership team shares my vision to improve the effectiveness of the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, and has the background and experience necessary to restructure the office in a way that increases efficiency and success in the prosecution and conviction of violent offenders, as well as improve training, technology and cooperation with law enforcement," Bernstein said in a statement.
He was sworn in during a private event early Monday and plans to hold a public, ceremonial swearing-in Tuesday afternoon.
As an assistant U.S. attorney, Hazel focused on violent gun cases in the Southern Division of Maryland under a program known as Project Exile, Bernstein's office said.
Embry became a special assistant to the secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation in 2010 and served as acting director of the Mayor's Office on Criminal Justice while the current director — Bernstein's wife, Sheryl Goldstein — was on leave to help with her husband's campaign.
And Januszkiewicz worked as a senior fellow for the Free State Foundation, a market-oriented think tank based in Rockville.
They replace Jessamy's leadership team, which was made up of deputy state's attorneys Haven L. Kodeck, Cynthia H. Jones and Kimberly B. Morton.
Bernstein narrowly defeated Jessamy in the primary election last fall, winning by fewer than 1,400 votes on the promise of tough prosecution of violent criminals. He was unopposed in the general election.