John David “J.D.” Merrill serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Brandon M. Scott. He served as Interim Deputy Mayor for Equity, Health, and Human Services from June 2024 to July 2025 and Deputy Chief of Staff from July 2023 to June 2024. 
 
Prior to working in City Hall, J.D. spent ten years working with Baltimore City Public Schools as a teacher, district administrator, school administrator, and consultant. He earned his M.S. from Johns Hopkins School of Education, his B.A. from Davidson College, and his high school diploma from Baltimore City College, the third oldest public high school in the United States.