Economic Development Week in Maryland Kickoff

Kelly M. Schulz brings a wealth of knowledge to the Maryland Department of Commerce from her years of experience working in the government, in the private sector and as a small business owner. She had previously served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor since her confirmation in February 2015 and is also a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

At Labor, she was responsible for managing an agency with nearly 2,000 employees and an operating budget of more than $375 million. Under her leadership, Maryland’s apprenticeship program grew to its highest level since 2008, with more than 10,000 apprentices statewide. The Department’s Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) Maryland program received national recognition for both innovation and effectiveness and was named one of the Top 25 programs in the 2018 Innovations in American Government Award competition.

A former member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Frederick County, she served on the Economic Matters Committee from 2011- 2015. In addition to local issues, then Delegate Schulz took special interest in legislation relating to banks and other financial institutions, business, occupations and professions, economic development, labor and employment, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation.

Prior to embarking on a career of public service, Secretary Schulz sold real estate, worked as a program manager for a defense contractor and was a part-owner of a cyber security firm. She has received several awards including the Outstanding Recent Alumna Award from Hood College in 2011, and is proud to participate as a member in many local community organizations including the Libertytown-Unionville Lions Club and the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company. Kelly is also a past Board member of the Frederick County Habitat for Humanity.

Secretary Schulz obtained her Associates degree from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York and later obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

A native of Warren, Michigan, Kelly currently lives in Frederick County, Maryland with her husband John Nowell and has two sons, Brandon and Bradley.

Heather Gramm joined the Maryland Department of Commerce as Senior Director of Strategic Industries and Entrepreneurship in June 2019. In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of the state’s efforts to grow the strategic industries of biohealth and life sciences, cybersecurity and aerospace, manufacturing, energy and agriculture. In addition, she oversees Commerce’s strategic initiatives for entrepreneurship, small business, and workforce development.

Prior to this role, she served as Deputy Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development overseeing the county’s business development efforts, including business attraction, retention and expansion, small and minority business development strategies, as well as industry-sector development in the county’s targeted sectors.

Heather has more than 17 years of experience in municipal, county and state economic development in a variety of roles including business development, community development and downtown revitalization. She earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Hood College and the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification through IEDC. She serves as President of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Board of Directors.

Kimberly A. “Kim” Clark

Kim Clark is the Executive Vice President of the City of Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC). In her capacity as EVP she oversees neighborhood development, downtown development, capital budgeting, commercial revitalization, and urban design and planning.

Among her achievements at BDC, Kim helped structure public private partnership financing for several major redevelopment projects, including several Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects; the redevelopment of Belvedere Square, all parcels at Inner Harbor East, Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS) for several major developments, including the Westside and the several grocery store projects. She was instrumental in retaining several businesses of all sizes and assisted smaller businesses with expansions and in the development of the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.

Kim is the Secretary of the Maryland Economic Development Association, Treasurer of the Urban Land Institute Baltimore Council, Board member and Committee Chair of the Star Spangled Flag House, Board member of the Emerging Technology Centers, Leadership Maryland and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and is a member of the International Economic Development Council. Kim graduated Leadership MD in 2009 and is a Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Class of 2007 graduate.

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