Mayor Brandon M. Scott Swears In City Officials

Mayor Scott Swears In New Health Commissioner, DPW Director, DPW Bureau Heads, and Board and Commission Members

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, September 22, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott swore in new agency leaders for the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) and the Department of Public Works (DPW), key bureau heads for DPW, and members of multiple city boards.

"I am proud to lead an administration that is building a safer, more equitable, healthier Baltimore for all of our residents," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "These members of my team, both old and new, will help us build on the progress we've already made to improve public safety, invest in equitable health care, support our workers, create more affordable housing, honor our veterans, and so much more. I am so grateful to each of them for dedicating their time and effort to serve our city."

Mayor Scott swore in Dr. Michelle Taylor as Health Commissioner, Matthew Garbark as DPW Director, Kendall Abu-Hakim as DPW Bureau Head for the Division of Solid Waste, and Steven Sharkey as DPW Bureau Head for the Division of Water and Wastewater. He also swore in members of the Baltimore City Wage Commission, Inclusionary Housing Board, and the newly created Veterans Commission.

Dr. Michelle Taylor, Health Commissioner

Dr. Michelle Taylor is a lifelong public servant and public health professional. She most recently served as the Shelby County Division Director for Health Services, leading the operations of the Shelby County Health Department. In addition to her public health leadership at the county level, Dr. Taylor serves as a Colonel and Residency-Trained Flight Surgeon in the Tennessee Air National Guard. From 2019 to 2021, she served on active duty for Operational Support and Statutory tours as the Credentialing and Privileging Branch Chief and the Division Chief for Aerospace Medicine in the Office of the Air National Guard Surgeon General.

Dr. Taylor received her Doctorate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health as a C. Sylvia and Eddie C. Brown Community Health Scholar. Dr. Taylor received her undergraduate degree from Howard University, her medical degree from East Tennessee State University, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, and completed her pediatric residency at East Tennessee State University/Johnson City Medical Center and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She holds a master's degree in Epidemiology from the University of Tennessee, and a master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was a Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellow.

Matthew Garbark, Director of DPW

Matthew Garbark has served the City of Baltimore for nearly a decade, most recently as the Interim Deputy Director at DPW. He previously served as Director of the Mayor's Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID) and Acting Director of DPW. Garbark joined the City as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Mayor in 2016, and was later promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor. Before working for the City, Garbark served as a Legislative Liaison and Analyst for the Maryland State Highway Administration and then for the Maryland Department of Transportation. Garbark has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kendall Abu-Hakim, Bureau Head for the Division of Solid Waste

Kendall Abu-Hakim is currently the acting Bureau Head for the Division of Solid Waste at DPW. He previously served as Assistant Deputy Director of Operations at the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Chief of Maintenance at Department of Transportation (DOT). He has served the City of Baltimore for nearly 14 years. Kendall earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and completed his Certified Public Manager certification at the University of Baltimore.

Steven Sharkey, Bureau Head for the Division of Water and Wastewater

Steven Sharkey is the current Interim Bureau Head for the Division of Water and Wastewater at DPW. In his nearly 20 years of working for the City of Baltimore, he has served as the Interim Director of the Office of Performance and Innovation, Director of DOT, Director of DGS, Director of Special Projects for the Baltimore City Police Department, Division Chief of Special Services and Property Management for DPW, and Deputy Director of Baltimore's CitiStat Program. Sharkey holds a BA in Political Science from McDaniel College and an MPP from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He lives in Federal Hill with his two daughters and two cats.

Boards and Commissions

Mayor Scott also swore in six members of multiple boards and commissions. He swore in Matt Grossfield to the Baltimore City Wage Commission, Tisha Guthrie to the Inclusionary Housing Board, and four members of the newly created Veterans Commission. The Veterans Commission will ensure Baltimore can meet its obligations to those who have served, with its members advising City policy and ensuring veterans are connected to services. The committee's inaugural members are Jeromie Williams, KeSean Johnson, Adobolia Burford, and Adler Archer.

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