Kemal Zeinu completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering in 2017 and returned home to Ethiopia to leverage the skills, knowledge, and experience he gained to help improve water, sanitation, and infrastructure programs in his community. Currently, Kemal serves as the mayor of Kombolcha, a city with over 200,000 residents. He also works at the Kombolcha Technology Institute, Wollow University as an assistant professor supervising graduate and undergraduate students in the department of chemical and environmental engineering. Previously, he worked for the regional environmental protection authority as a chief chemical engineer, but was keen to run for office, and serve as mayor to create a green, clean, and eco-friendly city.

Last updated: 2019