Mayor Brandon M. Scott made several key announcements on the City’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis, including the hiring of Sara Whaley as the Executive Director of Overdose Response, the selection of members of the Restitution Advisory Board, and providing additional updates on the city’s ongoing implementation of his Executive Order on Opioid Restitution Funds.

Whaley has served as Mayor Scott’s senior advisor for public health since August 2024 while also serving as Program Director of the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and as a senior practice associate at the School.

As senior advisor, Whaley helped craft Mayor Scott’s executive order on opioid restitution funds and has supported the city with the implementation. Whaley is the author and lead coordinator of “The Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation,” which is considered the outline for national best practices for states and localities that receive these funds. Ms. Whaley is considered a national expert on the use of settlement funds and has advised states across the country on best practices for spending opioid settlement funds.

“Sara is a proven national expert and a leading voice in utilizing litigation funds to address the opioid epidemic,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “We have been fortunate to have her unparalleled experience as an advisor as we’ve navigated this process so far. Now, bringing her expertise as Baltimore’s full-time Executive Director of Overdose Response, Sara will help ensure our city becomes a national leader on utilizing our restitution funds and the implementation of our abatement plan. We are lucky to have her and deeply grateful for her continued service in this new role.”

For more details on the members of the Restitution Advisory Board see the full release.