“I never on a career day in my entire life said I wanted to work in local government,” says Shamoyia Gardiner, deputy chief of staff and legislative director in the office of the Baltimore City Council President since 2025. “I got here through a lot of education and a firm belief that children deserve everything.”
Gardiner spent years as an educator and education policy advocate. When her experience in the classroom left her questioning the priorities of those in charge, she turned to policy work to address the needs of children systemically and holistically.
Previously, as executive director of Strong Schools Maryland, Gardiner led statewide implementation monitoring and advocacy in support of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a landmark public education law. In that role, her understanding of how relationships and inside-outside politics shape policies deepened. She sees her legislative work at the city level as a new way to leverage her knowledge and experiences for the benefit of Baltimore’s young people — and the Fellowship as an opportunity to learn additional approaches to problem solving.
“[Through the Fellowship] I’ve been given new frameworks, had preconceptions challenged and been reminded that who I was and what I experienced as a child is part of my own leadership and the impact I have on kids today,” she says.