2026 MEDA Winter Conference

Allison Akers is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Anne Arundel based systems integrator Vision Technologies. In this role, Allison is responsible for overseeing overall marketing direction, brand management, corporate communications, and strategic growth of the company.

Allison deeply believes in giving back. Allison serves on the MEDA Board of Directors and serves as the co-chair of the MEDA Young Leaders Group. Allison also serves as Past President of the Public Relations Society of America-Chesapeake Chapter Board, is the chair of Vision Technologies’ Charity Committee as well as a committee member of the Women’s Network Employee Resource Group, is a member of Fort Meade Alliance Rising Stars, and recently finished serving on the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business Alumni Chapter Board.

Allison is passionate about economic development and celebrating successful business growth in Maryland, developed through her prior work as Marketing and Outreach Manager for Anne Arundel Economic Development. Prior work also includes Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Maryland State Judiciary, time in grassroots marketing and events management for the MD, DC, VA region for Road Runner Sports, and a brief stint in the music marketing industry. She graduated from West Virginia University in May 2022 with an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications and holds a B.S. in Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She is a proud Terp through and through.

Member of Senate since October 1, 2013. Member, Finance Committee, 2015- (health subcommittee, 2015-18; energy & public utilities subcommittee, 2019-). Member, Joint Committee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Biotechnology, 2014-; Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, 2015-; Joint Committee on Unemployment Insurance Oversight, 2015-; Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review, 2019-; Joint Covid-19 Response Legislative Work Group, 2020-. Member, Judicial Proceedings Committee, 2013-15; Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services, 2014; Joint Information Technology and Biotechnology Committee, 2014; Maryland Economic Development and Business Climate Commission, 2015-16. Minority Whip, 2015-20. Member, Executive Nominations Committee, 2015-20; Legislative Policy Committee, 2015-20; Rules Committee, 2016-20; Marijuana Legalization Work Group, 2019. Chair, Kent County Delegation, 2013-; Queen Anne’s County Delegation, 2013-; Caroline County Delegation, 2015-.
Member, Maryland Offshore Wind Business Development Advisory Committee, 2013-; Governor-elect’s Transition Team, 2014-15. Board of Directors, Upper Shore Regional Council, 2014- (council member, 2011-). Member, Task Force on the Maryland Clean Energy Center, 2016-17; Work Group on Rural Health Care Delivery, 2016-17; Strategic Energy Investment Advisory Board, 2016-; Oyster Advisory Commission, 2016-. Alternate member, Southern States Energy Board, 2019-.

Member of House of Delegates, representing District 36, Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties, January 12, 2011 to October 1, 2013. Deputy Minority Whip, 2013. Member, Economic Matters Committee, 2011-13 (banking, economic development, science & technology subcommittee, 2011-13; unemployment insurance subcommittee, 2011-13); Business Climate Work Group, 2013. House Chair, Queen Anne’s County Delegation, 2011-13. Member, Maryland Veterans Caucus, 2012-13.

Member, Bainbridge Development Advisory Board, 2011-; Mid-Shore Regional Council, 2011-; Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, 2011-.

Member, Economic Development Commission, Queen Anne’s County, 2002-06.

Assistant Secretary of Planning, 2003-04. Assistant Secretary, Department of Natural Resources, 2004-06.

Born in Washington, DC, May 2, 1964. Attended Bowie High School, Bowie, Maryland; James Madison University; Catholic University of America, B.C.E. (civil engineering), 1987; George Washington University, M.B.A., 2002. Vice-President, Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate services company, 2006-. Vice-President, Trammell Crow Company, 1999-2003. President, Queen Anne’s County Republican Club, 2002-04. Chair, Queen Anne’s County Tricentennial Celebration Committee, 2004. Youth football coach, 2006-09. Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 2012. Past member, Board of Directors, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc.. Member, Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, Centreville, Maryland. Married.

Theresa Kuhns serves as Chief Executive Officer of The Maryland Municipal League (MML), a professional association serving Maryland’s cities, towns and special taxing districts. The League represents 160 local governments and serves as the voice for the 2 million Marylanders who call a municipality home. As CEO, Kuhns is responsible for leading the executive operations and day-to-day management of the association and its affiliate groups and has the honor to lead the 15 member staff team in its practice areas of advocacy, public policy, leadership development and member experience.

In addition to her executive role, Kuhns also serves as President of the Maryland Municipal Insurance Agency; Board of Trustee for the Local Government Insurance Trust and Board of Trustee for the NLC Mutual Insurance Company. Kuhns currently serves on the National League of Cities and American Planning Association joint effort, Housing Supply Accelerator National Committee. She also serves on the boards of Sustainable Maryland and the University of Maryland Academy for Local Excellence in Government. Kuhns was honored to co-chair a transition team for Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman.

Her 20+ years public affairs background includes her tenure with the United States Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Realtors and Greater Washington Board of Trade and Aristotle International. Prior to her current role, Kuhns served on the Calvert County Economic Development Authority; United Way of Southern Maryland Board of Directors and the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Business Advisory Group. Additionally, Kuhns also served on the National Association of Realtors Government Affairs Advisory Committee. She is a proud graduate of Leadership Southern Maryland Class of 2019, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Executive Leadership Program 2005 and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania 2001. Kuhns and her family reside in Huntingtown, MD.

Jack McDougle is the president and chief executive officer of
the Greater Washington Board of Trade, a business
organization that has served the District of Columbia, Northern
Virginia, and suburban Maryland for more than 130 years.

Jack has worked with business, government, and nonprofits for
more than 30 years to enhance competitive advantage. Before
joining the Board of Trade, he worked on economic capacity
building projects in the U.S., Central Asia, and India. Jack led
the National Manufacturing and Innovation Initiative at the
Council on Competitiveness. He also served as Deputy Undersecretary for Economic
Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Industry Analysis at the U.S. Department of
Commerce. At the U.S. Department of State, he led components of the U.S.-hosted G8
Summit at Sea Island.

In the private sector, Jack was Vice President for Strategic Management at People’s
United Bank.

Jack regularly discusses economic, business, manufacturing, and trade issues with
senior government and industry officials as well as presenting at various meetings and
events. Jack earned his M.B.A. in strategy and finance at Northeastern University in
Boston, Massachusetts.

Michael Sanderson has served and advocated for local governments for nearly 30 years. He leads MACo, the state’s association of county governments, who deliver front-line services to every Maryland resident. He works actively in policy advocacy, helps to develop top-shelf conferences and events, and co-hosts the Conduit Street Podcast covering policy and politics from a local perspective.

Ebony Stocks is the Executive Vice President with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, an organization that provides business services that help attract, retain, and expand businesses in the County. She previously administered the County’s premier $50 million economic development tool, the Economic Development Incentive Fund which leveraged over $1 billion in capital investment and created over 13,000 jobs. Ms. Stocks is a Certified Economic Development Finance professional who has managed several financing and incentive programs. Ms. Stocks has worked in commercial lending providing non-traditional financing to rapidly growing small businesses. Ms. Stocks has a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

As TEDCO’s Chief Development & Marketing Officer, Tammi Thomas is responsible for the overall strategic direction, execution and management of TEDCO’s marketing and fundraising strategies. Her leadership is instrumental towards the organization’s success in identifying, investing in, and growing Maryland-based technology and life science-based start-ups. Tammi is an award-winning communicator with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, technology, economic development, higher education, and entrepreneurship. Among other awards, she recently received the Distinguished Women Award from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (2024) and was named one of I-95 Business’ Influential Women (2025).

She serves on the World Trade Center Institute’s CEO Council, Maryland Momentum Fund Advisory Board and President of MEDA’s Board of Directors.

Tammi earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Alabama State University and an MBA from the University of Baltimore. She takes great pride in her daughter, Sydney, who’s a nuclear engineer serving on a guided missile submarine. Go Navy!