Board of Directors

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!

Ms. Beaver has served as the Carroll County Deputy Director of Economic Development since 2001. Prior to that Ms. Beaver held several Carroll County workforce development roles serving Carroll County businesses and citizens for a total of 27 years.
Selected as a Leadership Maryland Class of 2021 member and elected MEDA secretary in April 2021, Ms. Beaver also currently represents Carroll County at the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore Advisory Board, the Baltimore Gas & Electric Carroll County Advisory Council, the Carroll Transit Advisory Council, and the Mid-Maryland Workforce Development Board. Previously, Ms. Beaver was a founding member, board member, and Secretary of the Carroll Technology Council (now Carroll Technology & Innovation Council) for 16 years.
Ms. Beaver holds degrees from Kutztown University and Towson University and resides in Westminster.

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.

Renée M. Winsky is the president and founder of Bay One Group, LLC. Formed in 2012, the firm assists clients with a variety of subject matters, including leadership development, non-profit governance and management, economic development, government relations and advocacy, organizational and strategic planning, technology transfer and commercialization, university collaborations and partnering, entrepreneurship, and small business start-ups.

Ms. Winsky is also a Senior Leadership Development Consultant with McDonell Consulting Group/Sandler Training. She provides personalized assessments and coaching to guide business leaders in their personal and professional development and strategic planning efforts.

From September 2013 to March 2022, Ms. Winsky served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Leadership Maryland, a professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of the leaders throughout the state.

Prior to joining Leadership Maryland, Ms. Winsky served as the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Innovation Center, CEO of the Tech Council of Maryland, and as the President and Executive Director of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). She has held positions with the Information Technology Association of America (now TechAmerica), National League of Cities, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, Maryland Municipal League, and City of Greenbelt, Maryland.

Ms. Winsky serves as Chair of the Maryland Innovation Initiative and the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Funding Authorities as Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. appointments. She is a member of the Maryland Venture Fund Authority, a Governor Wes Moore appointment (and a prior Governor Larry Hogan appointee). She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Economic Development Association, where she is Treasurer; The Maryland School for the Blind, where she is Secretary; and Services Coordination, Inc. She has served in volunteer, leadership and governance roles with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee, Chesapeake Innovation Center, Maryland Association of CPAs, Maryland Business Incubation Association, Maryland Health Care Product Development Corporation, State Science and Technology Institute, UMBC Research Park Corporation, West County Chamber Government Contractor’s Guild, Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Winsky is a graduate of the University of Maryland and a graduate of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2005, where she is also a Lifetime Member.

Richard Griffin, AICP, CEcD is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Frederick.
In that role oversees four City Departments including the Department of Economic
Development, Downtown Parking Department, Frederick Municipal Airport, and Weinberg
Center for the Arts. Griffin is accredited economic developer and urban planner with over 30
years of experience.
During his 20+-year tenure in Frederick he has overseen major City Projects including the design
and development of award-winning Carroll Creek Park, airport expansion, and parking garage
development along with coordinating complex development projects delivering jobs and tax
base in downtown and commercial corridors. He has worked with many businesses in Frederick
including AstraZeneca, Fort Detrick, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Stulz,
Wilcoxen, Precision For Medicine, and many small mom and pop shops, and minority and
women owned businesses.
Richard has experience working at the city, county, regional, and federal level in Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Carolina and Washington State. He served on the district staff of the
late US Representative James Clarke from the 11th District of NC. He is a US Army veteran
having served as a Cavalry border guard on the East German Border during the cold war and as
a commissioned Armor officer in the NC National Guard and Army Reserves.
Mr. Griffin holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Clemson University. He is the
President of the Board for the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), and
serves on the Boards of the Fort Detrick Alliance, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center,
Inc, and others. He is Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and volunteers as a scout leader and youth
mountain bike race team coach. His wife Lynne is a FCPS teacher and they live, work, and play
in Downtown Frederick.

With over 20 years of experience in public and private funding at the federal, state and local levels, President & CEO of FSC First, Dawn R. Medley is a recognized thought leader who has developed, implemented and managed operations in sectors like CDFIs, CDCs, commercial banking, economic development and small business finance. She specializes in U.S. Small Business Administration’s loan programs and economic development financing programs, managing a $60 million portfolio that enhances local economies and supports job creation. Driven by a passion for expanding access to business financing, Mrs. Medley has championed business education and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. FSC First has been instrumental in removing barriers to capital that has resulted in $162.5 million in financial assistance that was the catalyst for another $1.5 billion in private capital community investment.

Mrs. Medley has been a Task Force member for gubernatorial business forward initiatives, provided testimony to the Maryland General Assembly, and drafted legislation that has become law to provide access to capital for emerging small businesses.

She holds a B.S. in Business Administration, focusing on Business Law and Public Policy, from the University of Maryland University College.

Jerry T. Sanford is a seasoned executive with three decades of public and private sector experience in economic development, public private partnerships, business development and corporate growth. Prior to joining The Harbor Bank of Maryland, Mr. Sanford held senior positions at the Maryland Department of Commerce, Alexandria (VA) Economic Development Partnership, Washington Gas a WGL Company and the Montgomery County (MD) Economic Development Corporation. He has been involved in impactful and transformational projects with capital expenditures totaling over $1 Billion dollars with companies such as Sodexo, Amazon, Choice Hotels, and Merck (EMD). Mr. Sanford also serves on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Economic Development Association, Sons of the American Legion Squadron 41 and Employ Prince George’s. Mr. Sanford’s community service also includes 33 years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT in Montgomery County, MD. He has a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus with additional education in economic development and real estate development.

John Stalfort is the managing principal of the Miles & Stockbridge’s Washington, D.C. office. He serves as counsel to commercial and investment banks, political subdivisions, economic development agencies, for-profit and not-for-profit entities (including health care institutions, secondary schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations), corporate trustees and bond purchasers in all types of tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions. He has served as bond counsel in connection with many of the most significant economic development projects in the State of Maryland and the Greater Washington region for more than 40 years. Included in these projects are the public-private-partnership (P3) financing of the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore’s harbor, the Chesapeake Hyatt Resort development (a 400-room hotel, golf course, spa and resort in Cambridge, Maryland), the National Harbor project (a 7,000,000-square-foot, mixed-used community along the Potomac River), the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Purple Line light rail project in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland and the redevelopment of Washington’s Union Station. A particular focus of his practice are land-based infrastructure transactions, including special taxing districts, tax increment financing districts (TIF) and community development authorities in the Mid-Atlantic Region as bond counsel, developer’s counsel and underwriter’s counsel. These transactions have included the first two special taxing district financings in the State of Delaware and the redevelopment of downtown Columbia, Maryland. Several of these transactions have involved transit-oriented development projects (TOD’s). John’s practice also involves equipment leasing and finance transactions in which he represents operating lessors, corporate and municipal clients as lessees and financial institutions acting as a lender, lessor, buyer, seller or trustee. These transactions have included single-investor structures, leveraged lease structures and synthetic lease structures. He also serves as counsel to financial institutions in connection with asset-based lending and commercial finance transactions and secured real estate loans. John is a former member of the Firm’s Board of Directors and former Chair of the Firm’s Business Department. John lives in Washington, D.C. and Maryland with his wife, Anne, and has two children, Elizabeth and Doug.

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.

Laurie (Boyer) Babb is a Director of Economic Development on the Business Development team at the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC). She focuses on business retention/expansion projects, real estate/site selection and efforts to recruit corporate headquarters. She also manages the ACE Loan Fund program which provides loans to small, minority, and woman-owned businesses.

Ms. Babb previously served as the Economic Development Manager for the Business Advancement Team in the Office of the County Executive, Montgomery County Government where she was responsible for the management and oversight of the County’s economic development financial incentive programs and the administration of contracts with third party vendors providing economic development services on behalf of the County. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed policies and procedures and implemented over $40 million in emergency grant programs established to directly assist local businesses.

Previously, Laurie served as the Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), and as Executive Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development. In May 2006, she earned her professional Economic Development Certification (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council. She has 20+ years of economic development experience.

Ms. Babb is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery Class of 2014 and Leadership Frederick County Class of 1997, currently serves as a Past President of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and is co-chair of the MEDA Professional Development Committee, on the Leadership Committee of NAIOP DC-MD, and on the Sponsorship Committee of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) MD Suburban.

Ms. Babb has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Spanish from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA and a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.

Economic and Tourism Development Director, Kent County, Maryland
With a strong foundation in business and leadership, Jamie Williams brings a strategic focus to driving economic growth and enhancing tourism in Kent County. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, and earned a Master Certificate in High-Performance Leadership from the National Association of Counties (NACo) Professional Development Academy in 2020.

A graduate of Shore Leadership (Class of 2021), Ms. Williams currently serves on the Board of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), where she co-chairs the Professional Development Committee. She is also an active member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). In addition to her professional commitments, Ms. Williams serves as Treasurer of the Chestertown Rotary Club and Secretary of the Queen Anne’s County Alumni Association.

Her prior experience includes leadership roles such as Assistant Plant Manager and Customer Service Manager for a millwork distributor, as well as Office Manager for a land surveying firm, positions that have contributed to her well-rounded perspective and hands-on approach to business and economic development.

Ms. Brown is the Director of Maryland Small Business Programs and State Director of the Maryland Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC). As the Director, she oversees multiple federal programs hosted at the University of Maryland, including APEX Accelerators, Mid-Atlantic Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC), and the Maryland Business Opportunities Center (MBOC), a program that was developed under her leadership. In her primary role, she provides leadership to the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) which is a statewide program that is comprised of more than 22 locations. The SBDC is a partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the U.S. Small Business Administration to facilitate management training and technical assistance to Maryland’s small businesses. In the last 3 years, Ms. Brown has been instrumental in raising an additional $10 million to be spent over a 5-year period.

Ms. Brown joined the Maryland SBDC in 1998 as a program coordinator. She was later promoted to the Deputy Director position, where she was responsible for overseeing the Network’s operations for 20 years. In 2023, Ms. Brown was promoted to her current position. Some of her accomplishments over the years include the development and evaluation of policies, procedures, and program initiatives for the Network. Ms. Brown led the Maryland SBDC Network to prepare the ASBDC Accreditation self-study and implement organizational improvements, which resulted in accreditation without conditions. She developed a desk reference guide for the Maryland SBDC, which codified the organization’s procedures. As the Deputy Director, Ms. Brown led the annual proposal preparation and submission for a $4+ million funding package. Ms. Brown coached a specialty consulting team through the challenges of achieving results in Baltimore City after the unrest. She negotiated annual goals and objectives with agency officials in a climate of changing priorities. Ms. Brown is active on America’s SBDC Accreditation Committee, where she and other State and Associate Directors conduct peer reviews of SBDC programs nationwide. The accreditation process, funded by the U S Small Business Administration and based on Baldrige standards of excellence, drives continuous improvement for SBDC programs nationwide.

Before joining the SBDC, Ms. Brown practiced law at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, PA, assisting low-income individuals with issues ranging from family law to Supplemental Security appeals and bankruptcy. While in business school, she began her pursuit of entrepreneurship development through the Urban Business Assistance Corporation by providing technical assistance to small businesses in New York City. Upon earning her M.B.A, Ms. Brown worked with Syndicated Communications, a venture capital firm that targets minority-owned media communications companies, and Media Communications Group, a specialty-lending group affiliated with Signet Bank as an Investment Analyst.

Ms. Brown received her B.A. in English, cum laude, from Howard University, her J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her M.B.A. in Finance from New York University.

Lora Brown joined Prince George’s Community College as an adjunct professor in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Prince George’s Community College in Fall 2021.

Lora Brown participates in various civic groups in Prince George’s County and the Washington, DC, area where she currently resides. Ms. Brown is a very active member of her church, where she serves on the Trustee Board, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

On a rainy spring day on the campus of West Virginia University, after a year of watching a commercial construction project rise from the ground, I realized I needed to build something. At the time, I couldn’t guess how the desire would translate into a career. After sixteen years of experience in economic development at the state and local government level, I am grateful to have mapped a course that has allowed me to share in the community growth that comes from a strong, engaged and diverse local economy. I bring the knowledge and perspective from my time at the Jefferson County Development Authority and the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development to my current role with the St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development. I am thrilled to be a part of a professional, smart and fun team.

If you are looking for me outside of normal business hours, I’ll be on the St. Mary’s River, eating a stuffed ham eggroll at Chief’s or reading a book on the front porch.

With more than 20 years of government relations, management, and administration expertise, Andrea E. Mansfield brings her ability to successfully execute advocacy efforts and programs to Manis Canning. Her broad experience and involvement with the Maryland Legislature on policy, fiscal and budget matters; and her ability to work with diverse groups and build consensus on complex issues is an asset to the firm.

Andrea has extensive experience at the state and local level, having led and coordinated policy efforts for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) and implemented the legislative agendas of state agencies. As MACo’s Legislative Director she advised, crafted, and implemented the common agendas and legislative goals of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.

In state government, she worked within three Administrations in positions of increasing responsibility, serving as legislative liaison to the Legislature for the Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR); and Special Assistant, Director of Financial Aid, and Assistant Secretary of Finance Policy with the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Andrea serves on the Board of Leadership Maryland and was a member of the class of 2019, serves on the board of the Maryland Economic Development Association and co- chairs the Public Policy Awareness Committee, serves on the Anne Arundel County Personnel Board, and previously chaired the Anne Arundel Charter Revision Commission and Odenton Town Center Advisory Committee. She has a Master of Policy Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Lori C. Valentine is the Vice President of Policy and Public Relations for the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), leading the organization’s business marketing and communications arm as well as its legislative teams. She is an experienced policy and public relations professional with years of experience in the public sector on the state and local levels serving as legislative directors for several state agencies, including the Maryland Department of Commerce (formerly DBED) and Prince George’s County government under former County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III.
Prior to taking on her roles in Prince George’s County, Valentine gained valuable experience in legislative policy and negotiating after being tapped to serve as a legislative officer for Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich. On a mission to support Prince George’s County’s efforts to attract, retain and support the existing business community, she is focused on improving local entrepreneurs’ access to County programs and resources. Her team continuously creates stimulating communications and marketing collaterals that increase the visibility of the EDC programs and services, taking businesses to the next level of growth.
Lori can also be credited with contributions towards the passage of numerous pieces of legislation that support the business community’s ability to develop and expand in Maryland and Prince George’s County, supporting the County’s efforts to rebrand with its Experience, Expand, Explore campaign, coordinating County Executive Angela Alsobrooks record-breaking inaugural State of the Economy address, and creating diverse, interactive and informative programming to support the County’s business community.
Valentine is a proud native of Chicago, Illinois, a Juris Doctorate graduate of the Howard University School of Law, a MEDA Board Member, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Destiny is an economic development professional specializing in supporting LISC’s small business and Business Development Organizations’ (BDOs) initiatives nationwide. She leads the national BDO Network, ensuring small business owners access affordable capital and strengthen their financial and business practices to achieve their goals through direct support from these organizations. Destiny is dedicated to fostering growth and opportunity through small business support and economic development initiatives.

Prior to joining LISC, Destiny served as an Economic Development Specialist in Southern Maryland, leading the Business Retention and Expansion Program and Southern Maryland Innovates, an initiative dedicated to transforming the region’s economy through entrepreneurship and innovation. She is passionate about helping partners strengthen their services to support historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and building inclusive small business ecosystems. Destiny holds a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Xavier University. Beyond her professional roles, she is actively involved in various committees and organizations, including the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA). Destiny resides in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with her family, and enjoys nature, grilling, and relaxation.

Jen LaHatte is the Managing Director of Policy, Research and Government Affairs for the Maryland Department of Commerce, the State’s primary economic development agency. In this role she oversees a group of ten research and policy staff responsible for identifying and enhancing economic development policies and providing high quality research products and economic analyses leading to strategies that maximize the State’s economic growth. Jen has worked for the Maryland Department of Commerce in a variety of roles since 2012, including Director of Policy and Program Development as well as Business Policy Analyst, and has been managing her division since 2021. Prior to joining Maryland Commerce, Jen worked for a political fundraising consulting firm. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and lives in Cockeysville with her husband, two young sons, and their rescue dog Griffey.

Ricardo Benn is a seasoned executive working with leading organizations in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia, Ricardo brings a wealth of experience spanning economic development, management consulting, and emerging technology deployment. He also brings extensive experience driving organizational transformation, strategy execution, and technology adoption across public and private sectors. As a business leader at top global consulting firms, he managed multi-million dollar practices, secured strategic contracts and helped clients deliver upon exceptional growth targets. .

Currently, Ricardo is the Deputy Secretary at the Maryland Department of Commerce where he leads the Offices of International Investment and Trade, Strategic Industries, Talent and Workforce and Federal and Military Affairs in improving the business climate for the State of Maryland.

Ricardo previously led the Advisory Services practice at Capgemini Government Solutions, where he has successfully guided strategic initiatives for National Security, Federal Civilian, and Commercial clients. His ability to think outside the box and communicate effectively has made him a trusted advisor across diverse industries.

Previously, Ricardo served as the Director of Museum and Cultural Projects for the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, overseeing a portfolio of tourism and cultural assets in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In this role, he spearheaded efforts to adaptively reuse historical sites, develop innovative new cultural and retail strategies, deliver major museum exhibitions, and support art fairs like the annual Abu Dhabi Art. His leadership ensured the successful implementation and financial sustainability of a diverse portfolio of museum and tourism facilities, performing and visual art events, achieving significant cost efficiencies while enhancing portfolio profitability.

At Booz Allen Hamilton, Ricardo played a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s federal, commercial and International development practices. Earlier in his career, he gained technical expertise as a Satellite Communications Engineer with NASA, providing him with a unique blend of analytical and strategic acumen.

Ricardo holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of Maryland, College Park. He remains actively engaged with numerous professional organizations.

With a passion for innovation and a track record of delivering transformative projects, Ricardo is dedicated to advancing the mission of institutions through strategic planning, operational excellence, and creative vision

Julia Glanz is the Assistant Secretary for Strategic Initiatives at Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Glanz is responsible for shaping new initiatives to achieve the policy objectives of Governor Wes Moore’s administration and the operations goals of department Secretary Jake Day. Prior to joining DHCD, Glanz served as the City Administrator for the City of Salisbury, managing day-to-day operations across all the city’s departments since December 2016. She was the youngest, and first female to hold the City Administrator post. She also served as Acting Mayor and led Salisbury forward through challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustices.

A native New Yorker, Glanz moved to Salisbury in 2007 to study at Salisbury University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Political Science (2011) and a Master’s Degree in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution (2013). Glanz has been a proud resident of the City of Salisbury for the last 16 years, but is moving to Greenbelt, Maryland this summer with her wife, Lindsey, and their four legged children.