2026 Economic Development Day

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.

Brooke Lierman is the 34th Comptroller of the state of Maryland and the first woman to be independently elected to one of our state’s constitutional offices. After running a strong, policy-focused and grassroots-led campaign, she was elected with over 60% of the vote in November 2022. She is an attorney by training, practicing as a civil rights and disability rights lawyer for many years, and prior to her election as Comptroller, she served for 8 years a member of the House of Delegates representing part of Baltimore City. While in the House, she spent time in leadership roles on both the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Transportation Committee. She chaired the Oversight Committee on Pensions.

As Comptroller, she is leading an agency of 1,200 dedicated Maryland public servants in 12 offices around the state. She has focused on making government work better by modernizing the agency’s aging IT infrastructure and staff structure, and she has created an office of public engagement and taxpayer advocate to ensure that the resources of the agency are shared with Maryland businesses and residents. The office has published new and important research reports on Maryland’s economy, and Brooke’s acts as a fiscal watchdog on the Board of Public Works, focused on achieving best value for the state and meeting our MBE goals. Under her leadership, the office of the Comptroller is working to create a Maryland that is more equitable, more resilient, and more prosperous so that all Marylanders can reach their full potential.

Brooke grew up in Montgomery County and now lives in Baltimore City with her husband two school-age children.

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.

Member of House of Delegates since January 9, 2019. Member, Economic Matters Committee, 2019- (workers’ compensation subcommittee, 2019-22; public utilities subcommittee, 2023-; chair, business regulation subcommittee, 2023-, member, 2019-, vice-chair, 2022); Study Group on Economic Stability, 2020-. House Chair, Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 2023- (member, 2021-). Member, House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization Work Group, 2021-23. Deputy Majority Whip, 2022. 2nd Vice-Chair, Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus, 2023- (member, 2019-; treasurer, 2021-22); Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, 2019-; Maryland Legislative Transit Caucus, 2019-; Women Legislators of Maryland, 2019-.
Chair, Work Group to Study the Transformation of Manufacturing in Maryland’s Emerging Digital Economy, 2021-23.

Member, Governor’s Commission on Asian-Pacific American Affairs, 2007-15 (past chair).

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Montgomery County, 2016- (special projects director, 2011-15). Board of Directors, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, 2016-19.

Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, District of Columbia Economic Partnership, 2001-05. Public Information Officer, Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, District of Columbia, 2005-08.

Born in Shanghai, China, November 4, 1963. Ohio University, M.A. (organizational & interpersonal communication), 1993; Kogod School of Business, The American University, M.B.A. (marketing & global information technology management), 2001. Board of Trustees, Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, 2010-; Imagination Stage, 2018-. Elected Delegate, Democratic Party National Convention, 2024. Co-founder, Bio-Health Innovation, Inc. Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Daily Record, 2018. Power 30 Manufacturing, Daily Record, 2021.

Pamela “Pam” J. Ruff has served as Executive Director of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) since 2000. MEDA is a statewide professional membership organization of more than 500 public and private professionals dedicated to bringing jobs and investment to Maryland. As Executive Director, Ms. Ruff is responsible for all aspects of management at MEDA as well as the 501c3 entity The MEDA Foundation, Inc. Ms. Ruff has an extensive background in economic development marketing that began in 1981 when she joined the Baltimore Briefing Center (BBC), where she served in several capacities. The BBC expanded from a regional to a statewide focus and became the Maryland Communications Center (MCC), where Ms. Ruff served as Deputy Director. Both centers operated as the primary marketing support service for Maryland’s economic development professionals in both the public and private sectors. As Executive Director of the MEDA, Ms. Ruff has been responsible for the operation of a statewide association that provides programming, professional development, networking, and marketing opportunities to members throughout Maryland. She has built a portfolio of work that includes programs and partnerships that enhance regional, state, local, and private sector interests at all levels of economic development. Ms. Ruff has honed unique talents in economic development, including program development, professional skills training, creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration, and marketing the profession. Ms. Ruff is a Past President of Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna and a former director of the Havre de Grace Economic Development Advisory Board. She also served on the board of directors of the Homeless Persons Representation Project. She is a graduate of Leadership Maryland. Ms. Ruff earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from Towson State University (now Towson University) and her Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Ruff is a resident of Baltimore City.

*Photo credit: Mary Gardella Photography

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!

Lori C. Valentine was the Vice President of Policy and Public Relations for the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), where she led 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. Her mission was to support Prince George’s County’s efforts to attract, retain and support the existing business community. She was focused on improving local entrepreneurs’ access to County programs and resources.
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.