The Baltimore County Council on Monday unanimously confirmed Joanne Rund as the county’s first female fire chief.
Rund is a 32-year veteran of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, where she most recently served as assistant chief.
She was among several department heads nominated by County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. to be confirmed at the meeting. Rund will take over for Acting Chief Jennifer Aubert-Utz, who has led the department since January after the departure of Chief Kyrle Preis.
Rund hugged Aubert-Utz as members of the fire department stood in the council chambers to applaud after the vote. Aubert-Utz will remain with the department as assistant chief, officials said previously. The council also confirmed Monday: C. Peter Gutwald as director of the Department of Planning, Ed Blades as acting director of the Office of Budget and Finance, and David Lykens as director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability.