TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Thursday announced several personnel updates.

Olszewski announced that Erica Palmisano will serve as Press Secretary for his administration. Palmisano will be the government’s primary point of contact for members of the news media. In addition, Mandy Remmell has been named Director of Community Engagement, and Pete Kriscumas will serve as Special Advisor to the County Executive.

Palmisano most recently handled communications and media relations for the Baltimore County Public Library, where she served as a spokesperson for the County’s 19-branch library system and managed aspects of public relations, social media strategy and communications. Prior to joining the library system, Palmisano spent seven years with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, where she served as the Assistant Director of Communications.

“Erica brings a wealth of experience and a deep knowledge of the County to this role, and we’re thrilled to welcome her as part of the team,” Olszewski said.

Mandy Remmell, who joined the Office of Community Engagement in 2020 as a community engagement representative, will become the Director of the Office of Community Engagement. Prior to joining the County, Remmell served as Outreach Program Manager for MDOT’s Maryland Highway Safety Office, where she led 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.

“Mandy has been an incredible asset in our efforts to build an open, accessible government. She has quickly earned the trust and respect of community members, and I’m thrilled that she will now be leading our community engagement efforts,” Olszewski said.

Remmell replaces Pete Kriscumas, who has been named Special Advisor to the County Executive. In this role, Kriscumas will provide staff support and liaise on behalf of the County Executive with senior leaders inside and outside of County government. Kriscumas, who has served in the Office of Community Engagement since the beginning of the Olszewski administration, previously 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’s Secretary of State under the O’Malley administration. Kriscumas will continue to serve as the representative for Council District 7.

“Pete brings a deep understanding of government and a wealth of experience troubleshooting complex problems, and I look forward to him bringing his skills to this new role in the Executive Office,” Olszewski said.