Mayor Brandon Scott announced on Tuesday that he has named Khalid Zaied, Director of the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW), to the cabinet-level position of Deputy Mayor for Operations.
Scott also announced four leadership promotions in the public works department as part of his efforts to improve agency operations and services for residents.
Zaied will move to the Mayor’s Office after a year as the 17th Director of the city’s Department of Public Works. He joined the public works department as Acting Director in March of 2024, was confirmed unanimously by the City Council in June of 2024, and was sworn in by the mayor on Oct. 9, 2024.
Before joining Baltimore’s DPW as director, Zaied managed the Department of Public Works in Champaign, Illinois. Prior to taking that job, he had worked for the City of Baltimore for 18 years in various capacities, including roles as Deputy Mayor for Operations, Director of the Department of General Services (DGS), and Director of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in previous administrations.
Zaied also spent five years in the private sector as Vice President for Special Projects with KCI Technologies, an engineering firm based in Sparks, Maryland, and served as the Deputy City Manager for Public Works and Transportation for El Paso, Texas.
As Scott’s Deputy Mayor for Operations, Zaied will provide direction and oversight to DPW, DGS and DOT in addition to the Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID), the Board of Elections (BOE), and the Parking Authority of Baltimore.
In other changes, Scott announced that:
- He will nominate Matthew Garbark to serve as the 18th Director of DPW. Garbark currently serves as the interim Deputy Director at DPW and previously served as the Director of MOID and Interim Director of DPW. Matthew has been a City of Baltimore employee for nearly 10 years.
- He will nominate Kendall Abu-Hakim to be the Bureau Head for the Division of Solid Waste at DPW. Abu-Hakim previously served as Assistant Deputy Director at DGS and the Head of Maintenance at DOT. He has been a City of Baltimore employee for nearly 14 years.
- He will nominate Steve Sharkey, the current Interim Bureau Head for the Division of Water and Wastewater at DPW to be the permanent Bureau Head. Sharkey previously served as the Interim Director of the Office of Performance and Innovation, Director of DOT and Director of DGS. He has worked for the City of Baltimore for nearly 20 years.
- Alan Robinson will leave his role as Assistant City Administrator for Operations in the Mayor’s Office to become Deputy Director of DPW. Robinson previously served as Chief of Special Services, Chief of the Office of Performance and Strategy, and Chief of Routine Services at DPW. Robinson has worked for the City of Baltimore for 17 years.
“I am grateful that Director Zaied is bringing his 30 years of municipal leadership and experience to his new role as Deputy Mayor of Operations, and am excited to welcome him back to City Hall,” Scott said in a statement.
“I also want to congratulate Matthew Garbark on his appointment as the 18th Director of DPW, and thank him for his tireless service to our city. Along with Alan, Kendall and Steve, they will help us maintain — and improve — the city services our residents depend on each and every day.”
