TOWSON, MD—County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Friday made several important personnel announcements, filling key Baltimore County positions.

“The key to building a better Baltimore County is building a great team, and I’m thrilled that these talented individuals will put their experience and passion to work on behalf of our residents and communities,” Olszewski said.

Department of Public Works

Acting Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW) Thomas Kiefer announced on Friday that he will retire from Baltimore County government, effective October 30, 2020. Olszewski has named Baltimore County Deputy Director of Transportation, D’Andrea Walker as new Acting Director while the search for a permanent replacement is ongoing.

Walker currently serves as Baltimore County’s first Deputy DPW Director for Transportation, where she coordinates Baltimore County’s transportation priorities. Previously she served as Associate Director for Transportation at the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation. She has also held senior roles with the Maryland Transit Administration, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Department of General Services. Walker earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Morgan State University.

As Acting Director, she will manage operations of the Department’s five main business units, including Highways, Utilities, Engineering and Construction, Solid Waste Management, and Transportation.

Office of Community Engagement

In addition, Olszewski announced two additions to his Office of Community Engagement, which works closely with communities and constituents to directly address residents’ concerns and help them access county services. The new community engagement representatives are Mandy Remmell for Council District 1 and Kirk Mitchell for Council District 4.

Remmell mostly recently served as Outreach Program Manager for MDOT’s Maryland Highway Safety Office, where she lead the department’s outreach programs. Previously she worked as Special Projects Coordinator at University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma Center, where she coordinated the Center for Injury Prevention and Policy’s community outreach efforts and events. Remmell garnered national attention in 2018, when she was highlighted lip-synching Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” to her son during a University of Maryland basketball game. She holds an Associate’s degree from the Community College of Baltimore County and is a graduate of Lansdowne High School.

Mitchell has over 15 years of experience serving a broad range of communities. He has served as Assistant Vice President of Operations at the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, where he directed the functions and programs of the community services department. He has also been a Resident Advocate with the Community Assistance Network, where he provided case management to support utility assistance and eviction prevention efforts. Prior to his outreach experience, Mitchell traveled throughout Europe as a professional basketball player in the International Basketball League. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma University and an Associate’s degree from Hagerstown Junior College.

In addition, Pete Kriscumas has been named Director of the Office of Community Engagement, and Amanda Carr has been named Deputy Director.

Kriscumas has served as the Senior Community Engagement Coordinator for Council District 7 since the beginning of the Olszewski administration. Previously, Kriscumas served in the office of Baltimore County Councilman Tom Quirk, coordinating outreach efforts in the southwestern part of Baltimore County for eight years. He has also served as Special Assistant to Maryland Secretary of State under the O’Malley administration. Kriscumas will continue to serve as the representative for Council District 7.

Carr currently serves as the Community Engagement Representative for Council District 5. She previously served as an aide to Baltimore County Delegate Pat Young and previously served in the office of then-Delegate Johnny Olszewski, Jr. Carr will continue to serve as the representative for Council District 5.