Certified Economic Developer Tapped to Lead Regional Business Investment, Retention, and Attraction Efforts
(Baltimore, Md.) – Following the success of the 2024 Baltimore Region Investment Summit, the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is excited to announce that Baltimore will once again host an official SelectUSA Investment Summit spinoff event on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Building on the momentum of the first event, which drew nearly 300 attendees, GBC is calling on business leaders from the region’s distribution and logistics, healthcare, defense, and cybersecurity sectors to submit proposals to speak at the event, presenting the array of investment opportunities and business activities in the country’s 19th-largest economy.
“We’re ready to build on the message we signaled with our first investment summit – that major investment has positioned the Baltimore Region as a premier global market for innovation, culture, and business opportunities,” said Mark Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. “The support we’ve received from U.S Department of Commerce and the SelectUSA program will further advance our efforts to promote our regional assets and connect with prospects seriously exploring the market.”
Scheduled for May 15, 2025, the 2025 Baltimore Regional Investment Summit will focus on driving further investment and economic development in the region’s core growth sectors. The one-day summit will include in-depth sessions on:
- Healthcare: Leveraging Baltimore’s status as a global leader in science and technology capable of attracting catalytic new investments and R&D partnerships.
- Distribution & Logistics: Showcasing the region’s connectivity and infrastructure, including the Port of Baltimore and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
- Defense: Highlighting collaborations with federal agencies and private-sector defense contractors, particularly in cybersecurity and biomanufacturing.
The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest profile event in the United States to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations (EDOs), and industry experts to make deals happen.
The Baltimore region’s gross domestic product currently stands at $187.4 billion, contributing significantly to Maryland’s overall economic footprint. With a dynamic investment pipeline and a highly educated workforce, the region continues to draw major investments and business expansions. The 2025 event will build on these strengths, further enhancing the region’s status as a federally designated Tech Hub.
In March 2024, GBC quantified more than $4.2 billion in economic activity across 347 major investments through the 2023 Baltimore Region Investment Scorecard, with new investments in companies and sites tied to the region’s strengths in life sciences, information technology, and other industries of the future.
In 2023, the Baltimore region saw nearly 5.4 million square feet of newly completed construction, including more than 5 million square feet of new industrial space. Lastly, the region’s attraction of 62 out-of-state and five known international deals indicated a strong baseline for continued growth.
GBC’s work to quantify the scope of economic activity in the Baltimore region was part of a concerted effort to align the region with the best practices of economic development organizations in peer markets while also showcasing that the region’s economy is capable of sustained growth, with momentum worth highlighting on a global stage. In May 2023, GBC selected an experienced team comprised of the place- based branding firm Resonance, the market research firm Ipsos Strategies, and the strategic communications firm Timbre Strategies to elevate awareness of the Baltimore region’s economic successes and civic progress outside of the surrounding media market.
Selected from a competitive field of 23 respondents to an RFP issued for positioning the Baltimore region, the team headed by Resonance will play a pivotal role in developing a cohesive brand narrative that communicates the Baltimore region’s economic assets to growth businesses, industry influencers, and media outlets locally, nationally, and internationally.
The economic story that’s told on a global scale will be informed by a defined regional strategy centered on advancing economic opportunity. To support that vision, GBC released All In I 2035: A Ten-Year Economic Opportunity Plan for the Baltimore Region in May 2024. The plan laid out goals for advancing regional economic opportunity in three areas—industry and innovation, place and community, and talent and people—and identifies strategies to achieve them. These strategies will define GBC’s short- mid- and long-term program of work, shape its policy priorities, inform its research strategy, and drive its role as a regional convenor and collaborator.
One of the key findings of All In I 2035 was that the region’s positive economic momentum can be accelerated by a more coordinated, collaborative, and inclusive approach to retaining and attracting jobs, business and investment, with a continued presence at SelectUSA through the Baltimore Region Investment Summit being an integral part of achieving this goal.
Leading the charge in building out the wholesale strategy for business investment, retention, and attraction in the Baltimore region will be GBC’s new chief economic officer, Lakey Boyd, a Certified Economic Developer (IEDC) with more than two decades of experience in economic development, workforce development, redevelopment, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Boyd holds a master’s degree in city planning, economic development, and land development from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA Certificate in Real Estate from Georgia State and is part of the American Institute of Certified City Planners from the American Planning Association.
Boyd has worked in more than 50 cities across the United States on multidisciplinary economic development plans: developing the market analysis and property redevelopment strategy of the reimagined Battery Atlanta live-work-play destination outside of Truist Park; operationalizing the place- based branding positioning of The Switch Innovation District in downtown Birmingham, Alabama; and leading the market analysis effort around leveraging Huntsville, Alabama’s defense sector strengths to help attract more than 50+ federal agencies and investments to the area as a BRAC beneficiary.
In the Baltimore region, Boyd served as the president & CEO of the Columbia Association, a nonprofit community services corporation with a $72 million operating budget and 1,000 overall team members. Most recently, she served as the vice president of Equity, Inclusion, and Transformation for Howard Community College.
With Boyd in her new role as chief economic officer, the GBC aims to strengthen its investment pipeline, elevate the region’s brand, and position Baltimore as a competitive player in the global market.
“Baltimore’s momentum is undeniable, and this summit is a unique platform to showcase the region’s strengths to a broader audience,” said Boyd. “I’m eager to engage our partners and demonstrate why Baltimore is a place where businesses can thrive, talent can grow, and innovation can flourish.”
As chief economic officer, Boyd will advance key initiatives that have set the stage for the Baltimore region’s economic growth, including maximizing the impact of the region’s Tech Hub status, leading the efforts of the Regional Innovation Office, and supporting the implementation of a comprehensive regional brand strategy that aligns with Baltimore’s long-term investment goals. As she steps into this leadership role, Boyd’s focus will be on building on these foundational efforts and strengthening the region’s inclusive investment ecosystem to further elevate Baltimore’s profile on a national and global scale.
Those interested in being considered for speaking opportunities during the summit are encouraged to email their resume, bio, and preferred speaking topic to events@gbc.org by Friday December 13, 2024.
###
ABOUT THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE
The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is the leading voice for the private sector in the Baltimore Region, providing insightful economic and civic leadership to drive collective impact. Comprised of more than 400 organizations, including large, mid-size, and small companies, nonprofits, foundations, and educational and healthcare institutions, the GBC is dedicated to fostering the prosperity of the Greater Baltimore region. For more information, visit gbc.org.