Maryland State Wire

County Executive Pittman and the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) announces Karen Henry will serve as the Acting Director.

“Karen is a seasoned county employee and talented leader who understands the needs and inner-workings of the department,” said County Executive Steuart Pittman. “I look forward to Karen’s leadership as she transitions into this new role.”

Ms. Henry started her career with Anne Arundel County in 1989 as a Community Services Specialist. In 1993 she transitioned to the Department of Aging and Disabilities where she held various positions. Ms. Henry eventually became the Program Manager for the Community Care Partnership, a program she developed to assist seniors with nursing home placement with the help of federal, state, and county funding.

"Karen Henry has proven to be an extremely effective manager and will keep public works in Anne Arundel County moving forward to best serve each citizen," said Chris Phipps. "Knowing first hand about Karen's work ethic, her knowledge of all the bureaus, and her dedication to this county makes me more than confident that the department is being left in good hands."

In 2000, Ms. Henry became the DPW EXCEL (Excellence in Cost Effective Leadership) Program Manager. In this role, she implemented key programs and strategies that improved processes within the Bureau of Utility Operations, including a skills training and certification program for employees. Ms. Henry was subsequently promoted to the position of Water Operations Utility Administrator at the Bureau of Utility Operations in 2012 where she managed the county’s water treatment and distribution system until being named the Assistant Director of DPW in 2016. As the Assistant Director, she oversaw all five DPW bureaus and managed the department-wide budgeting, finance, purchasing, legislative, personnel, customer relations, and asset management needs. 

Original source can be found here.