Dr. Bashar Ahmed serves as Chief of Staff for the Office of the County Engineer, acting as a key advisor to the County Engineer and coordinating across divisions to align priorities, streamline operations, and move the department's strategic initiatives forward with clarity and purpose. In this role, Dr. Ahmed provides financial strategy and oversight for more than $3.9 billion in capital projects. With extensive experience in public procurement, contract management, and financial forecasting, he ensures that OCE's operations align with county regulations, long-term planning, and fiscal responsibility.

Dr. Ahmed is committed to enhancing procurement processes, promoting inclusive contracting, and supporting minority- and women-owned businesses through strategic initiatives. His leadership also extends to improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, all while driving the county's long-term financial planning, workforce and employee experience strategy, and risk management efforts.

Dr. Ahmed brings approximately 15 years of public-sector leadership experience, including roles as Legislative Director and Policy Advisor for the Texas House of Representatives and Director of Constituents and Community Affairs for Bexar County. In these roles, he developed deep expertise in policy analysis, legislative strategy, and stakeholder engagement, skills he now applies to shaping OCE's strategic direction and guiding its policy priorities. He also spent nearly a decade on the faculty at the University of the Incarnate Word, teaching business, finance, project management, and organizational leadership and behavior, while mentoring graduate and doctoral students.

Having served as Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Ahmed knows the organization inside and out. He holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Finance, and a Bachelor's degree in Government with a focus in International Affairs.

Samuel Peña currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Office of the County Engineer, where he oversees day-to-day operations, driving efficiency, accountability, and coordination across divisions as the department delivers critical infrastructure and services to the residents of Harris County.

With nearly three decades of distinguished public safety experience, Chief Peña previously served more than eight years as Fire Chief of the Houston Fire Department, leading more than 4,000 personnel and a budget of nearly half a billion dollars, and prior to that as Fire Chief in El Paso. In these roles, he successfully managed emergency responses to major events including Super Bowl 51, multiple World Series, Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri, and various other natural disasters.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Chief Peña was named Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year in 2023 and most recently led disaster preparedness efforts for the department. As a credentialed paramedic and PEER Assessor for the Center for Public Safety Excellence, he maintains extensive technical certifications in firefighting, hazardous materials, confined space rescue, and emergency services instruction. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas-El Paso.

William (Erwin) E. Burden Jr., P.E. is the Chief of Engineering and Architectural Services at the Office of the County Engineer. With nearly 33 years of experience in project engineering, design, and construction, Erwin focuses on infrastructure projects that reduce flooding and remove repetitive loss structures from the floodplain. He has worked for various Texas cities, including Temple, Pasadena, San Antonio, Conroe, and Baytown. Chief Erwin has managed multiple divisions, including as Chief Stormwater Engineer for San Antonio and overseeing the Little Cypress Creek Frontier Program with HCFCD. Before joining OCE, he was the City Engineer in Baytown and also served as Assistant Director of the Recovery and Resiliency Division and Senior Director of Capital Projects at OCE. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and a nationally certified Floodplain Manager.

Dr. Mike Etienne is the Chief of Planning and Development Services at the Office of the  County Engineer where he oversees the Permits, Community Planning and Transportation, Real Property Management, and Environmental & Watershed  Protection divisions.

Dr. Etienne  is a results-oriented manager with over 25 years of executive  level experience in local government. Before joining the OCE, he  was  the Deputy City Manager for the City of Liberty Hill, Texas responsible for  planning and development services, public works, planning commission, and  downtown revitalization. Before that he was Assistant City Manager for the City of Victoria, Texas, and Assistant Director for Capital Projects, Director of Eastside Revitalization and Real Estate Services, and Assistant Director for  Neighborhood & Housing Services for the City of San Antonio.

Dr. Etienne holds  a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, a Master’s in Urban and Regional  Planning, and B.A. in Political Science. He is graduate of the Senior  Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University and is  an International City/County Credentialed City.

Miroslava Garza currently serves as the Assistant to the Executive Director/Harris County Engineer. In this capacity, she leads executive-level administrative functions encompassing responsibilities that support the effectiveness and efficiency of the Office of the County Engineer. Serving as the primary point of contact for constituents on matters related to the County Engineer, Ms. Garza ensures support and alignment with organizational goals. Her areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, strategic planning, organizational development, policy development, stakeholder engagement, and administration.

Ms. Garza’s exemplary 15-year career at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) highlights her capability to provide invaluable support to the field of science, technology, engineering, and math by supporting United States astronauts and national leaders alike. She expertly navigated complex administrative challenges, honing her skills in streamlining processes and implementing solutions that enhanced organizational efficiency. Her outstanding contributions were recognized by NASA when being awarded the Space Flight Awareness Award. This award is presented to a recipient who excelled in the role of promoting astronaut safety and mission success by communicating and educating the government/industry workforce about human space flight.

Her leadership and organizational acumen continue to drive the ongoing success and operational excellence of the office she serves today.