Shimelis Abdisa, born near Ginchi in the Oromia Region, has served as President of the Oromia Regional State since April 2019. He studied at Addis Ababa University and began his career in public administration and political organization within Oromia.
Between 2018 and 2019, he served as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, where he coordinated executive affairs, policy follow-up, and federal–regional relations. Prior to that, he was involved in political leadership and administrative roles within regional party and governance structures.
As President of Oromia, Shimelis oversees regional governance, security coordination, public service delivery, and development planning in Ethiopia’s largest regional state.