Executive Alliance Releases Annual Census Report of Women Board Directors in Maryland

2023 marks an important milestone for Executive Alliance. Since 1993, Executive Alliance, formerly known as Network 2000, has been a catalyst for women leaders in the greater Baltimore area. It is a critical part of our mission to expand women’s impact and influence in the board room, the community, and in the leadership of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government commissions. We achieve this mission partly by measuring the progress women have made through our Annual Census Report of Women Board Directors in Maryland , which was released March 23 at our Honor Roll event.

A lot has changed in Maryland and the business community since we began measuring and reporting on the representation of women on the boards of public companies headquartered in Maryland. Although the pace of change can be frustrating, women have made incredible strides towards gender parity. However, we need to remember that not all women have benefited equally. Examining the 75 publicly traded companies in Maryland, Executive Alliance found that Maryland companies significantly lag behind national averages for gender diversity for new board members. New independent directors in Maryland are 33% female versus 45% female for new Fortune 500 directors. We continue to see women of color lag behind white women in terms of board representation. There are bright spots – of the women named as new directors to publicly-traded companies, 32% are women of color. New Maryland directors are not as diverse when it comes to race and ethnicity as national averages.

As Executive Alliance enters its 30th year, we look with a renewed emphasis on empowering and diversifying Maryland’s executive leadership to provide paths to women’s leadership and growth. At the Honor Roll event, we celebrated 43 companies and organizations in Maryland who put values into action by having at least 30% of their executive team and board directors identify as women. Read more about these companies here and see more about the event here. New this year, we accepted applications from private companies and non-profits who met the 30% threshold. To apply for next year’s Honor Roll award, please visit here.

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Mentees Graduate from Executive Alliance Effective Impact Mentoring Program

By Kristin Wagonblott • June 12, 2025

"A circle of women who don’t just network, we nurture. Who don’t just connect, we challenge. Who don’t just support, we strategize." – Stacie Spragins, 2024-2025 Mentee Tuesday, June 3 rd , Executive Alliance graduated 10 women from its Effective Impact Mentoring Program. This 9-month program helps women at the mid-level of their career gain the skills they need to move into senior leadership roles by teaming 8 half-day professional development sessions with a one-on-one mentoring relationship with an Executive Alliance member. For more information about the cohort forming, see www.executivealliance.org/mentoring At the graduation event, mentees and their supporters heard from mentees Diamond Frazier of SECU MD and Stacie Spragins of leadRpoint. Diamond and Stacie shared their experiences and growth through the program arc as representatives of their class. Diamond, Virtual Business Advisor at SECU, launched her own non-profit Better Than Yesterday Mentoring during the program year. She said, “I gave birth to a new version of myself; one who knows her worth, owns her power and refuses to wait for permission to succeed.” Stacie came to the program after starting her own consultancy, leadRpoint, sharing that the program created a fundamental shift for her. “This community didn’t just help me find my voice. You helped me hear it. I feel like a mighty warrior,” she says. Mentoring co-chairs Tracy Imm, Tracy Imm Worldwide, and NaTasha Horton, Truist Bank, led the program, focusing on developing each mentee and matching mentees and mentors to create transformative relationships. NaTasha recognized the power of that mentoring relationship, saying “we often say that mentorship is a two-way street. As much as your mentors poured into you, you reminded us what purpose looks like in action. You challenged us to think differently, to listen more deeply, and to keep growing ourselves. For that, we thank you.” Tracy spoke more broadly about the effect of the program, which has graduated over 220 women since 1997. “Executive Alliance’s Mentoring Program provides that safe space for mid-career women to engage candidly with executive women on workplace issues they are navigating. Our graduates consistently gain clarity around values, strengths, leadership styles while learning new skills. Co-chairing the program was a rewarding professional experience for me this past year and I’m grateful to have led the effort with NaTasha Horton from Truist Bank.” Congratulations to our mentees – and their mentors! Liz Acosta, Associate VP, Governance, United Way of Central Maryland, mentored by Carole Argo, NCIA. Rafaella Cuff, VP of Strategic Analytics, The Y in Central Maryland, mentored by Kim Davis, Versant / MetLife Diamond Frazier, SECU and President/CEO, Better Than Yesterday Mentoring Inc., mentored by Damita McDonald, Notre Dame of Maryland University Melissa Greeson, Chief Administrative Officer, Bolton, mentored by Lynne Durbin, Inline LLC Nicklette Kitt, Community Relationship Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Federal Credit Union, mentored by Julie East, Julie East Consulting Reilly Maxwell, Institutional Business Strategist, Brown Advisory, mentored by Greta Kessler, Marsh McLennan Hannah Marcin Finifter, Project Manager, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, mentored by Anna Maria Palmer, GBMC Sara Powel, Family Law Director, Women’s Law Center, mentored by Rebecca Sinclair, Orrstown Bank Maria Sefiani, Financial Center Manager, SECU of MD, mentored by Mara Sierocinski, Sandy Spring Bank, a division of AtlanticUnion Bank Stacie Spragins, Founder, leadRpoint, mentored by Christine Walsh, Alpha Graphics & Red Start Creative Click here to see our graduation program and click here to see the photos from the event.

Current Census Report

By Kristin Wagonblott • March 13, 2025

Previous Census Reports

Executive Alliance names 50 companies to the Honor Roll Award for Women’s Representation in Maryland

By Kristin Wagonblott • February 6, 2025

Executive Alliance, which promotes women leaders in Maryland, has named 50 Maryland companies and non-profit organizations to its Honor Roll Award for Women’s Representation. This award is designed to recognize and celebrate companies and organizations that are creative and supportive in recruitment, development, support and advancement of women in the workplace and corporate boards. Each Honor Roll award organization has AT LEAST 30% of their executive leadership AND 30% of their board of director seats held by women. The Honor Roll award raises the bar for women’s representation in the C-Suite and board room and is included in Executive Alliance’s Annual Census of Women Board Directors in Maryland. The Honor Roll Award ties into Executive Alliance’s Annual Census Report of Women Board Directors, which will be released at our Honor Roll event. All of the Honor Roll companies and non-profit organizations will be celebrated at Executive Alliance’s Honor Roll event, held Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at The Maritime Center in Linthicum Heights, MD. For tickets and more information about the event, please see www.executivealliance.org/event/honor-roll. The event will feature a panel discussion of how women can overcome career challenges by selected representatives of Honor Roll companies and a welcoming reception. The Executive Alliance Honor Roll Award for Women’s Representation will be presented to:

Phone: 443-364-3674