Brian joined the Office of the Executive in December of 2022. His portfolio includes the Department of Public Works, Department of Planning & Zoning, Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits and coordination with agricultural-focused boards and agencies.
Brian’s experience in and around government spans 15 years. In 2021, County Executive Ball invited him to serve as Deputy Director in the County’s Department of Planning & Zoning. In this role, he supervised the Zoning and Research divisions and guided department-wide communications and administrative initiatives, including contributing to the development of the County’s next General Plan.
Prior to joining Howard County, Brian served as General Counsel and Director of External Relations for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), the regional planning agency for greater Baltimore. In this capacity, he managed legal and public affairs for the organization and worked closely with the region’s elected executives on transportation, housing, decennial census, emergency management, water supply and environmental issues.
Before BMC, Brian was a special assistant in Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s office, where he coordinated the Administration’s interests before the City’s spending and procurement oversight board known as the Board of Estimates. In this role, he also led the Mayor’s campaign to combat population decline and the Mayoral Fellows program. As a senior advisor to gubernatorial candidates Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman in 2014, his team developed a comprehensive statewide policy platform through extensive stakeholder engagement.
He began his career as an associate attorney with the law firm of Harris Jones & Malone, LLC, where he represented a wide variety of clients before state and local governments in Maryland. Brian is a proud graduate of University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Maryland, College Park.
Felix Facchine serves as Chief of Staff to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. In this role, Facchine advances the policy and programmatic areas for the County, which include budgetary and fiscal policy, economic development, transportation, housing and community development, tourism, and the arts.
Facchine is instrumental in developing and administering the County’s $2.5 billion operating budget and $436 million capital budget, which support key community priorities while maintaining the County’s AAA credit rating. He also oversees the effective administration of more than $63M in federal pandemic relief funds, which have been used to strengthen our public sector workforce, grow the local childcare network, and bolster critical county infrastructure.
During his time with Howard County Government, Facchine has worked closely with county departments and offices to advance Howard County's Complete Streets and multimodal transportation priorities to create a more connected, safe, and accessible transportation system. Additionally, he serves as liaison to the Ellicott City business community and fosters a vibrant environment for small businesses and tourism in the historic district, while also advancing key flood mitigation projects under the Safe and Sound Plan. Furthermore, Facchine has overseen major capital projects for the county, including the Capitoline Center in Historic Ellicott City and plans for a new Central Library in Downtown Columbia.
Facchine has been with Howard County Government since December 2018. Prior to his role as Chief of Staff, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Chief of Staff to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. Before joining the County Executive's office in 2022, he served for four years as a District Aide in the office of the Howard County Council. During his time with the County Council, he worked on a wide range of issues, including legislative affairs, public policy, communications, constituent services, and community outreach efforts.
Facchine is a two-time alumnus of the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and his Master's in Public Policy (MPP). He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Baltimore, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) degree with a focus in public budgeting. He is a Howard County resident and lives with his family in Ellicott City.
