ISD is the county’s general services organization; it supports purchasing, contracts and IT services, among other things.
Owh had been leading the department in an interim capacity. Prior to being named chief deputy director of ISD in February 2021, Owh served as the general manager for purchasing and contracts within ISD, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He is no stranger to public service. Before joining the county government, Owh served as the chief procurement officer for the city of Los Angeles and held the same role in New York City. He has also served as general counsel for the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, and deputy general counsel for the New York City Department of Small Business Services.
“Previously, Mr. Owh served as the general manager of the Purchasing and Contract Services Division with responsibility for managing more than $1.5 billion in countywide contracts and providing advice on more than $6 billion in countywide expenditures, annually. He also served as chief procurement officer for the city of Los Angeles, with responsibility for overseeing $8 billion in annual expenditures across 38 departments, and served as New York City’s chief procurement officer and director of the mayor’s Office of Contract Services, where he was responsible for transforming the process and enabling technology for more than $20 billion in annual spending across 40 departments,” Davenport continued in her recommendation.
Owh has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from University of California, Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law. His appointment became effective April 23. His annual salary has been set at $351,401.85.
