Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Tuesday who he wants to be his next Administrative Officer.

D’Andrea Walker, who currently is the county’s public works and transportation director, would take over for Stacy Rodgers who is retiring.

At a news conference in Towson, Walker praised Rodgers for opening the door for her. Rodgers is the first Black woman to hold the job. Walker will be the second.

The county administrative officer is responsible for the day-to-day operation of county government.

“She (Walker) leads by example and shares our vision to deliver equitable, efficient and accessible services for every resident,” Olszewski said.

The county council must approve Walker’s appointment. That appears all but assured, since five out of seven council members were present for Olszewski’s announcement.

Walker currently does not live in Baltimore County but she said that will change.

“The charter requires for me to be a county resident and the date of appointment, and I will be a county resident at the date of appointment,” Walker said.

Walker currently oversees a department with nearly 1,000 employees with a budget of $769 million.

Walker touted accomplishments during her more than three years heading the county public works department.

“We’ve launched the Towson Loop in the middle of a pandemic and now have over 150,000 rides to date,” Walker said.

The county also brought back bulk trash pickup and extended the life of the landfill.

Walker was appointed the acting director of the public works department in October 2020. At the time, she could not become the permanent director because she is not a professional engineer, which was required for that position.

That changed when county officials put on the November 2022 ballot a charter amendment which would allow someone who is not an engineer to hold the director’s position if they have at least 10 years of supervisory experience in infrastructure planning and construction, or transportation engineering and management.

Voters approved the amendment in November of 2022. Walker then qualified to be the permanent public works director. She was appointed by Olszewski and sworn in to that position in February 2023.

County Administrative Officer Rodgers has at times crossed swords with Inspector General Kelly Madigan. One case dealt specifically with Walker’s public works department.

In 2022, Madigan questioned why the county spent $69,000 to fix a commercial alleyway in Towson.

In a separate case, Rodgers questioned Madigan investigating why around 838 county employees did not receive a promised 2 percent cost of living pay increase in 2022. Rodgers called it an operational matter, with no issues of fraud, abuse or illegal acts.

When asked about Madigan, Walker said she has a working relationship with all of her colleagues.

“I consider the inspector general one of my colleagues and I will continue to have a professional relationship with her as I do others,” Walker said.

Walker’s current salary is $216,548. That will increase to $263,000 once she becomes county administrative officer.