Yosef Kebede is the Director of Public Works for Howard County, MD. In this role, he oversees a team of over 500 dedicated public servants along with an annual operating budget of $270M and an annual capital budget of $200M. Within his purview as DPW Director are the numerous essential services being provided for the 330,000 residents of Howard County. These services include drinking water distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, curbside trash/recycling/food scrap collection, facility operation and maintenance, road and sidewalk maintenance, traffic signal operation and maintenance, stormwater BMP maintenance, and the planning, design, and construction of all infrastructure needed for quality of life. Yosef has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Science, both from Stanford University. He also has an MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Yosef’s main focus is achieving consistent and repeatable organizational success that translates to real positive impact on staff and customers.
Yousuf Ahmad joined the County Executive's Office in 2023 as the Senior Advisor for Education Policy and Performance to assist with the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and to continue the innovation work that began under County Executive Ball. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director for the Office of Government Affairs, Education Policy, and External Relations for the State Department of Education where he led policy and regulatory development and implementation. During his tenure at the Department, he developed and managed initiatives to promote equitable access to education for all Marylanders, and focused on drafting legislation that supplemented the overall goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. He was previously a senior official in the Baltimore City Administration working on improving public safety for the Baltimore City State’s Attorney and has served as a senior analyst for the Mayor’s Office to measure, monitor, and analyze city agencies to improve efficiency and efficacy in the delivery of government services.
