John A. Olszewski Jr.

County Executive
Baltimore County

John Olszewski Jr. fi rst got a taste for political offi ce his senior year at Sparrows Point High School when he was appointed a student member to the Baltimore County Board of Education. The lifelong county resident would be elected to a number of offi ces over the years, including his current role as Baltimore County executive as well as the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland Democratic State Central Committee.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I am so proud of our progress to make Baltimore County government more accountable, connected and transparent than ever before. We’re delivering on the promise of responsible and responsive governing establishing an inspector general, passing lobbying reform and creating a public fi nancing system for local elections. We created the county’s fi rst data-driven management system, launched our town hall series that has engaged thousands of residents, established an offi ce of community engagement and much more. I am excited to continue building on our progress to build a better Baltimore County.

What’s is the most important life lesson you learned?

Strong relationships are fundamental to our shared success. Building relationships requires operating with honesty and openness, leading with listening and incorporating feedback from others. I anchor my life in investing time with my family, anchor my faith in building bridges based in our community’s shared goals and challenges and anchor my work in cultivating stronger relationships with our residents. We strive to be transparent about challenges and we invite everyone to the table to help address them.