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PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Young Announces New Directors for the Department of Transportation and the Department of General Services
BALTIMORE, MD. — Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young announces Steve Sharkey as Director for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Chichi Nyagah-Nash as Director for the Department of General Services (DGS), effective today.
“Steve Sharkey brings extensive and tested experience to his new role as Transportation Director. He knows our City intimately and has established a long career working across agencies to increase positive outcomes," Mayor Young said. "The City will also benefit from the vast programmatic and policy expertise, both in the private and public sectors, of Chichi Nyagah-Nash. She has a track-record of success, as it relates to employee engagement, accountability, customer service, innovation and collaboration. Both of my nominees have excelled at using data-driven approaches to achieve greater operational efficiencies,” Mayor Young added.
Mr. Sharkey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from McDaniel College and a Master’s in public policy with an urban policy concentration from the University of Maryland. Mr. Sharkey has served in city government since 2005 when he began as a fellow in CitiStat. He worked his way up and was promoted to Deputy Director. Next, he would join the Department of Public Works where he served as Chief of Special Services & Property Management. While there Mr. Sharkey also oversaw the Right of Way Section for over 3 years and has done extensive research and work on street cuts. Next, he would join the Baltimore Police Department as Director of Special Projects. For the past 7 years, he has served as Director for DGS. As Director, DGS Fleet Management was named one of America’s “100 Best Fleets” in 2018. He achieved savings in excess of $500,000 annually for the City through smarter leasing practices and better utilization of existing space. Mr. Sharkey has a proven record as a strong manager, he has demonstrated solid leadership, fostered a culture of accountability, achieved savings, and possesses extensive experience with capital budgets and projects.
“Steve has demonstrated great leadership at DGS, particularly in allowing others to lead with their own expertise,” said Councilman Ryan Dorsey of the 3rd District. “I look forward to DOT benefiting from the same, as well as Steve’s data-driven approach to outcomes and strong systems of accountability.”
“Baltimore’s transportation challenges demand a strong and steady hand at DOT, someone who understands how to plan and implement complex projects in an inclusive way,” said Jon Laria, Chair of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Commission, which works closely with DOT on growing the City’s bicycle infrastructure. “Steve Sharkey’s extensive management and project delivery experience at DGS make him a terrific choice to lead DOT at a critical time.”
Mrs. Nyagah-Nash holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration from Alliant International University and an MBA in Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University. Upon earning her Master’s degree, Mrs. Nyagah-Nash became the Senior Program Administrator for U.S. Food Service, Inc. There she administered a company-wide ethics hotline for the $20 billion company with over 26,000 employees and also investigated company allegations of theft, fraud, and other related issues. In 2012, Mrs. Nyagah-Nash joined DGS under Director Sharkey as Deputy Division Chief and held that position for 6 years. While there she managed an operating budget of $47 million and was responsible for the purchase and maintenance of all City vehicles. She also developed policies and procedures to govern operational changes aimed at efficiency improvements. Next, she joined the Department of Housing & Community Development as the Director of Special Projects. After that, she joined the Department of Human Resources as the Assistant Deputy Director. Most recently, Mrs. Nyagah-Nash returned to DGS as Deputy Director. In this capacity she evaluated agency programs and functions, proposed enhancements and realignments to drive effectiveness, identified opportunities for increased collaboration with other agencies, and facilitated a culture of innovation and identification of non-conventional operational improvements.
“Chi Chi has been a real star at DGS and made my job as Director infinitely easier,” said Steve Sharkey, Director of DGS. “I have had the pleasure to watch her develop into an innovative leader and an essential component of the department. I am extremely excited and very proud that she will be succeeding me at DGS and I have the utmost confidence in her ability to lead the department to even greater success.”
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