Council set to vote on parks director
Nominee recently left Baltimore County, would replace Archie Trader
Roslyn Johnson is up for confirmation Monday night as the new head of Recreation and Parks for the city of Annapolis, less than two months after leaving the same job in Baltimore County.
If approved by the Annapolis City Council, she would replace Archie Trader, who held the top job at the department since 2017 when he was appointed by former Mayor Mike Pantelides.
Mayor Gavin Buckley said last month the switch would “move the department in a new direction,” according to a city news release. Her tasks will include bringing online the city park at the historic Black Carr’s Beach/Elktonia beach, overseeing a series of bike trails in various stages of development and navigating a crowded schedule at the recently renovated Truxtun Park pool.
According to the city human resources director, no advertised search was conducted to replace Trader because the recreation and parks director serves at the will of the mayor.
Johnson has held a series of high-level positions at several large mid-Atlantic parks and recreation departments. In the District of Columbia, she faced allegations of inflating her resume, and an inspector general’s report found fault with her hiring in 2005.
In an interview, Johnson denied the charges that she inflated her resume, and said she “didn’t do anything improper” in D.C..
As recreation and parks director in Baltimore County from 2020 to 2022, she listed accomplishments such as running programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the department’s budget and raising money to build a Baltimore Ravens-themed playground.
“My time in Baltimore County was an amazing period for me,” she said.
Johnson was one of several top officials to depart at the end of Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s first term.
She was hired in 2020 and made $185,552 at her departure date, according to the county.
“Leaders come and go for a variety of reasons, and we thank Ms. Johnson for her work on behalf of the residents of Baltimore County,” Olszewski said in a statement.
During her tenure in Baltimore County, tensions arose between Johnson and the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council after the county took on operations at the organization’s agricultural center.
Johnson’s tenure there overlapped with current Annapolis City Manager Michael Mallinoff ’s work as the interim Baltimore County director of planning and zoning. And he supports Johnson’s appointment to the Annapolis post.
“The city takes the staff vetting process seriously,” Mallinoff said in a statement, adding that the city’s research includes a criminal-background check, social media scrutiny and verifying former employment. Johnson’s hiring included a “thorough background review, including talking to the Chief Administrative Officer of Baltimore County,” Mallinoff said.
“Everything we’ve learned makes us confident about proceeding with Ms. Johnson’s appointment and her confirmation before the City Council.”
Johnson joined the District of Columbia’s parks and recreation department in 2005, following the appointment of Kimberley Flowers, who had moved from Baltimore to the department director job in D.C.
Jonetta Rose Barras, an independent journalist and former co-host of “The Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta,” alleged in a 2006 podcast episode Johnson was “inflating her resume” when she moved to D.C.
Johnson challenged the resume allegations in a subsequent libel lawsuit filed in 2007. “Due to the nature of the allegations,” the lawsuit said the District terminated her position on Oct. 13, 2006.
“The defamatory articles and statements have made it virtually impossible for Ms. Johnson to continue to work in her area of expertise in Washington, D.C./Maryland Metropolitan area,” her lawyer wrote.
According to her resume, Johnson was working in Richmond as the deputy director of parks, recreation and community facilities when the lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit also offered an explanation for concerns about her resume. “Because of the urgent nature of this request,” her lawyer wrote, she sent a resume “draft” when she was invited to apply. She said she submitted a second resume the following day, but the original was forwarded to the personnel office.
In February 2007, the District’s Office of Inspector General released an audit investing parks and recreation hiring practices. The Capital obtained a copy of that report, which found significant fault with how the five employees from Baltimore were hired. As a result, District officials cannot be assured, the report states, “that the best qualified applicants were selected and appointed to the positions or that District residents received proper consideration for the positions. Additionally, these conditions could convey, at a minimum, the perception that [Recreation and Parks] gave preferential treatment to the five employees.”
The employees are not identified by name, but Johnson’s position and termination date listed in her lawsuit matches the description of Employee A. The audit states that “we were unable to fully verify previous employment for Employee A or Employee D.”
A judge ultimately dismissed Johnson’s libel lawsuit in 2009, with Johnson and Barras each covering their own court costs. Johnson said she could not discuss the terms of the suit, but said she was “very happy” that she had been able to defend her reputation, even though it cost her “six figures” to do so.
If confirmed by Annapolis City Council, Johnson will earn $180,429 and lead a $5 million portfolio of parks and programs.
Trader will be moving to a newly created civilian position within the Annapolis Police Department, where he will assist with a prisoner reentry program and continue leading Annapolis United, a recreation and mentorship initiative for vulnerable youth that he founded last year with Ward 4 Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles. In an email to constituents, Charles said Trader “was removed,” called that decision “very unfortunate,” and praised him for his leadership of the Annapolis United.
Mallinoff said the city had no comment on how Pindell Charles characterized the leadership switch.
“From time to time, however, administrations realign priorities and that may also lead to a realignment of leadership,” he said.