Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Announces Senior Staff Appointments for Second Term

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced four senior staff appointments that will guide his leadership team during his second term. Ball appointed Angela Cabellon to be Chief of Staff, Brian Shepter as Deputy Chief of Staff, Felix Facchine as Assistant Chief of Staff, and Brandee Ganz as the County’s next Chief Administrative Officer. 

Angela Cabellon will serve as Chief of Staff. She has served as the County’s first Chief Innovation Officer and the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer since 2018. Cabellon initiated and oversaw the development of the County’s first performance dashboard, the Howard County Data Analytics and Statistics Hub (HoCo DASH). She made more than $1.8 million available to support innovation and operations needs for non-profits. Cabellon served as incident commander and oversaw the County’s COVID-19 pandemic response on behalf of the County Executive, ensuring a data-informed, people-driven response to policy and practice. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Cabellon has a 20-year career in public service. Her appointment is effective December 19, 2022. She replaces Sameer Sidh, who has accepted a job as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer in Baltimore County.

Brian Shepter has been named Deputy Chief of Staff. Since March 2021, Shepter has served as Deputy Director in the County’s Department of Planning and Zoning. In this role, he supervised the Zoning and Research divisions and guided department-wide communications and administrative initiatives. Shepter’s experience in and around government spans 15 years. Prior to joining Howard County, he served as General Counsel and Director of External Relations for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), the regional planning agency for greater Baltimore. Shepter previously 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. He is a graduate of University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Maryland, College Park. His appointment is effective December 19, 2022. Shepter fills a position that has been vacant since the departure of Jennifer Jones in August 2022.

Felix Facchine has been appointed Assistant Chief of Staff. Facchine has worked in Howard County Government for the last four years as the District Aide to Howard County Councilmember Christiana Rigby. In this role, he advised on local legislative issues for Howard County, with a focus on transportation, housing, and environmental policy. He also oversaw communications efforts for the office, including community outreach, speechwriting, and public relations. 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. His appointment is effective December 19, 2022. He fills a redefined position created with the resignation of Shaina Hernandez, Ball’s Senior Adviser for Policy, who has accepted a job as Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor-Elect Wes Moore.

Brandee Ganz has been appointed to serve as the County’s next Chief Administrative Officer.  For the past four years, she has served as the County’s Chief Information Officer and managed more than 100 employees with the Department of Technology and Communication Services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ganz led efforts to move the County’s workforce to a remote environment, without service interruption to staff or the public. Ganz’s team partnered with County Administration to launch the Transform Howard Initiative which continues to bridge the digital divide within the County. Ganz has worked in IT/Project Management for 20 years and been with the County for seven years. Her appointment is effective March 1, 2023. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Ganz will replace Lonnie R. Robbins, who is retiring following a 34-year career with Howard County Government. Robbins has served as Chief Administrative Officer since January 2007.

Ball and members of the County Council were installed for second terms in a ceremony last evening at Atholton High School. Photos from the event can be found here. In his installation address Ball called for the community to unite to create the very best place to live, work, play, grow and grow older for all

Ball called for the continuation of core efforts begun during his first term, including:

• Innovating in the areas of physical and mental health and wellness, so that we can all live longer, healthier, happier and more active lives;
• Expanding apprenticeships, career opportunities, and elevating the entrepreneurs of tomorrow;
• Increasing parks, playgrounds, and places where we can connect, laugh, and create;
• Becoming more energy independent and making more progress on becoming a national model for flood mitigation and resilience;
• Opening more schools and providing the best teaching and learning environment so that our children of all ages and abilities can grow and thrive as adults;
• Creating a community where, as we age, we have accessible outdoor spaces and buildings and efficient transportation options. 

Full text of his address can be found here.