Today, City Manager Dorothy Ann David announced the appointment of Khalil Zaied as the City’s next Public Works Director. Zaied has more than 22 years of engineering and public works-related experience in both municipal government and the private sector. Zaied’s first day with the City will be October 17, 2022.
Zaied will leave his current position as Vice President for Special Projects for KCI Technologies; a position he has held since January 2018. Prior to that he served as the Deputy City Manager for Public Works and Transportation for the City of El Paso, Texas from 2016-2018. Zaied spent the majority of his career with the City of Baltimore, Maryland, serving in a variety of roles from 1997-2016. This includes serving as the Deputy Mayor for Operations, Director of Department of Transportation, Bureau Head of Department of Public Works, and several other management and engineering positions. Zaied holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Zaied has extensive experience managing a wide variety of public works operations, including: engineering and construction, mass transit, parking, permitting, fleet, snow removal, water distribution, stormwater management, sewers, traffic safety, parks and recreation, facility maintenance, environmental services, conduits, streetscape, and energy conservation. He has experience managing large capital projects ranging from bridges and highways to schools, museums and recreational facilities.
“Khalil’s extensive background in engineering and municipal government made him the best choice to assume leadership of our Public Works Department,” said City Manager Dorothy Ann David. “With nearly two decades of experience managing the delivery of critical public works and transportation services, Khalil has demonstrated his leadership capabilities and sharpened his skills through a series of career advancements and increased levels of responsibility. He has demonstrated a professional commitment to providing excellent customer service while leading a team of professionals engaged in complex and detail-oriented work. I’m happy to welcome him to the City’s executive team and I know he’ll be a great asset for our community and the City organization.”
Of his appointment Khalil Zaied said, “I am both grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve as the new Public Works Director for the City of Champaign. It is an honor to work alongside the dedicated and highly skilled group of professionals at the department. I would like to thank the City Manager for her confidence in me and I look forward to serving the residents of this great city.”
Khalil was selected following a nationwide search and succeeds former Public Works Director Dennis Schmidt who retired in July 2020. This recruitment was delayed due to a hiring freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zaied’s starting annual salary will be $185,000.