Announces City’s First-Ever Infrastructure Czar

BALTIMORE, MD. (Friday, June 3, 2022) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the creation of the new Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID). The Mayor named Matthew W. Garbark the first-ever Baltimore City Infrastructure Czar, effective July 18, 2022.

"I am truly excited to create this new office to coordinate major capital projects, support agencies in project delivery, and maximize our ability to go after federal funds through the IIJA," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Matt Garbark brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise, especially around city infrastructure, to this new role, and I am fully confident he is the right person to lead this new agency and usher in a new era of equitable infrastructure development in Baltimore."

MOID will report directly to the Chief Administrative Officer and be primarily responsible for coordinating and supporting agency leaders focused on identifying, administering, and managing federal infrastructure projects and grant programs. The office would advise Baltimore City government agencies on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) federal grant application development process, regulations, and systems that impact the procurement and Board of Estimate approval process. Garbark will lead the office as Infrastructure Czar. The primary scope of the office will be to:

• Serve as the main point of contact for state and federal infrastructure spending and reporting requirements.

• Establish citywide standards, policies, and processes to deliver high-priority projects in an efficient, strategic, and accountable manner.
• Define and maintain project management standards and introduce economies of scale in executing capital projects.
• Support agencies in project delivery while providing strategic oversight, coordination, and guidance on the procurement and BOE processes.
• Establish grant oversight and compliance protocols to ensure state and federal award reporting requirements are being met.
• And coordinate major capital projects, supporting agencies as needed, and leading/managing projects.

"I want to thank Mayor Scott for this wonderful opportunity," said Infrastructure Czar Matthew W. Garbark. "I am delighted to serve the City of Baltimore in this capacity, and I firmly believe we are well-positioned to receive significant federal infrastructure investment. This investment is critical because it not only improves our physical assets; it also provides skilled, high-paying work for so many of our residents."

Garbark has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College.

He has over 15 years of experience working for the State of Maryland and Baltimore City. Since 2019, he has served as the Deputy Director for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. During that period, he served as Acting Director between February 2020 and April 2021. Between 2016 and 2019, he worked in the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office, first as a Special Assistant and then as Deputy Chief of Staff. Between 2006 and 2015, Matt served as a Legislative Liaison and Analyst for the Maryland State Highway Administration and then for the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021, a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is intended to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. In line with the Mayor’s Action Plan commitment to ensuring the Responsible Stewardship of City Resources, the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development will strengthen the City’s capacity to ensure every dollar flowing into the City is utilized for the highest and best need to produce the most significant improvement to infrastructure experienced in a generation.