Meet Marah Aqqad | Executive Public Servant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marah Aqqad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marah, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
To me, success isn’t about titles or compensation. It’s about impact at scale. Safer streets, better infrastructure, thoughtful planning that improves quality of life for real people in the community. But what matters just as much is how we lead through those projects: building trust with council and management, strengthening collaboration, and creating an environment where people feel heard and valued.
If my team feels supported, challenged, and empowered to think critically, that’s success. If we’re making decisions rooted in service, integrity, and long-term stewardship, that’s success.
If I can go home knowing I moved something forward in a way that serves the public well and helps my team grow, that’s how I define success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has not been a straight line, and it definitely has not been easy. But honestly, I would not change any of it. Every detour, every hard moment, every time I had to figure it out on the fly, that is what built me.
I started with a technical foundation in engineering, but early on I realized I cared just as much about people, process, and impact as I did about design. I wanted to understand not just how infrastructure gets built, but how decisions get made, how teams function, and how the work we do actually lands for the people on the other side of it. That curiosity took me places I did not expect and opened doors I did not even know to knock on.
What sets me apart is that I do not see engineering as just plans and specifications, or public works as just operations. I see it as a responsibility. Every project we deliver affects someone’s daily life. How safely they travel. How their neighborhood holds up during a storm. Whether the infrastructure around them supports their future or limits it. That is not abstract to me. That is personal. And it goes with me into every decision I make.
Over time, my work has grown well beyond any single discipline. I work across departments, I sit in rooms where strategy gets decided, I think about organizational health and fiscal stewardship, and how to build teams that are not just functional but genuinely strong. I have found that the most meaningful work happens at the intersection of engineering, policy, and people, and that is the space I have built my career around on purpose.
I am most proud of stepping into leadership before I felt ready, because honestly, I was not always sure I was supposed to be in those rooms. There were moments where I had to lead people, manage projects worth millions of dollars, and make decisions that affected entire communities, all while quietly fighting imposter syndrome and wondering if I was enough. I had to learn how to stand firm while still staying open. How to speak with confidence while still being willing to be wrong. That was not comfortable. But it was necessary.
One thing I have always done is say yes to the stretch. The role that was not quite mine yet. The responsibility that was bigger than my title. I have grown into rooms before I was officially invited, and I have never stopped being grateful for the people who left the door open for me.
A lot of who I am as a leader came from paying close attention, to what good leadership looks like and what it does not. I worked under people who inspired me deeply and others who showed me exactly what I did not want to be. I took both seriously. Out of that came a very clear picture of the leader I want to be: someone who builds trust, creates clarity, develops people, and makes them feel capable rather than managed.
The hard seasons taught me resilience, but more than that, they gave me perspective. You do not need all the answers. You need to ask the right questions, stay grounded in your values, and keep showing up even when it is hard.
Today I lead with purpose, and I mean that. This is not a job I fell into. Public service is something I chose and something I genuinely believe in. Local government touches people’s lives in ways that do not always make headlines but matter every single day, and I show up for that. I show up for the team, for the organization, and for the community that trusts us to get it right.
If there is one thing I want people to know about me, it is this: I am not here just to do the job. I am here to make things better. And I am still growing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend is coming to visit, I am not holding back. DFW has so much to offer, and I want them to leave knowing they experienced the real thing, not just the tourist checklist. I’m based closer to the Fort Worth side, so that’s where we’re spending most of our time, but we’re absolutely making a day trip into Dallas because that city has things you simply cannot get anywhere else.
One non-negotiable from day one: good coffee every single morning. My rotation includes Avoca, Ascension, Ampersand, Lala Land, Foxtrot, Pax & Beneficia, and Savory. We are not starting the day with a drive-through. That’s just not how we do it.

Day 1:
We’re easing in with brunch at The Mill, Manaesh, Snooze or Yold, then heading to Clearfork for a walk and a candle-making class at The Worth Co. . It’s a great way to get oriented, spend a few hours doing something hands-on, and just enjoy the area. That evening we’re doing dinner at Carbone. It’s a full experience and worth every bit of it.

Day 2:
This is the day I take every visitor. We start in the Stockyards, walk the brick streets, catch the longhorn cattle drive if the timing lines up, and take it all in. Then we move into Downtown Fort Worth for the afternoon. Sundance Square has great energy and there’s always something going on. Dinner that night is Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar, hands down the best sushi I’ve had in DFW. Get there early because there will be a wait, and it is completely worth it.

Day 3:
We are driving into Dallas because two things are on the list that you cannot skip. First, DFW Founders’ Plaza at the airport. You stand outside, listen to live air traffic control radio, and watch massive planes fly directly over your head. It sounds simple and it is completely unforgettable. Then we head to White Rock Lake for a walk or run, beautiful views and real peace and quiet in the middle of the city. That evening we’re scootering around Uptown and ending the night in Deep Ellum, which has great food, art, and energy. Dinner is Al Biernat’s, the kind of steakhouse where you dress up a little and just enjoy the whole experience.

Day 4: A Little of Everything
Lunch is Quince, one of my favorites. After that we’re doing the Perot Museum because it is genuinely one of the best science museums in the country and worth a few hours. We hit Klyde Warren Park for a walk, grab something from one of the food trucks, and end the evening at Reunion Tower for the views at sunset. Dessert is gelato because on a warm Texas night there is nothing better.

Day 5:
Fort Worth Zoo is seriously one of the best in the country and people always underestimate it. We are spending a few hours there. Pappasito’s for fajitas, because you cannot come to DFW and not have a proper Tex-Mex lunch. We’re also squeezing in a night at The Mexican for dinner and mocktails before the week is over because the food and atmosphere are both amazing.

Day 6:
Saturday mornings in this area have some great farmers markets, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth and others depending on the time of year. We are starting there, then heading to Granite Park for the Broadwalk. It’s a great outdoor stretch with restaurants and things to do and it doesn’t feel like a mall. Sushi night is off the table because we already did Hatsuyuki, so this night we are doing Truluck’s. Equally special, equally worth it.

Day 7:
We end with one more great coffee, a walk somewhere pretty, and if it’s October we are absolutely going to the State Fair of Texas at Fair Park. Big Tex, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, and something new fried every single year. If it’s not October, we’re doing Coco Shrimp for a goodbye lunch and calling it a perfect week. And if there’s energy left, Medieval Times is genuinely one of the most fun nights out you can have, especially with a group.
DFW is big, loud, and full of life, and I love showing it off. This place has fine dining, dive gems, world-class museums, outdoor spaces, and experiences you genuinely cannot find anywhere else. One week never feels like enough.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This one is easy for me, and I could honestly talk about it all day. First and foremost, my husband, my kids, and my family. They are my absolute foundation. None of this works without their support, their patience, and their belief in me on the days I wasn’t sure I believed in myself. They show up for me so I can show up for everyone else, and I never take that for granted.
But beyond my family, I have to shout out my mentors and the people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself. They saw something in me, opened doors I didn’t even know to knock on, and challenged me to think bigger about what I was capable of. That kind of investment in another person changes your trajectory, and mine is proof of that.
I also want to recognize the friends who have been in my corner through every season. The ones who celebrate the wins and sit with me through the hard chapters. Those friendships are rare and they matter more than people realize.
And then there is the community. The people I actually do this work for. When you are in public service, it is easy to get lost in the policy and the projects and forget the human beings on the other side of every decision. They remind me of why I chose this path in the first place. Serving people well is the whole point, and their trust is something I take seriously every single day. I am where I am because of all of these people.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marah-aqqad