Mark Anthony Thomas is an executive whose career spans economic development, public leadership, media, and the creative arts. Since December 2022, he has served as President & CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), the Baltimore Region’s business-civic leadership organization and regional economic development entity. Over the course of his career, he has helped regions organize around economic opportunity, modernize government systems, build cross-sector partnerships, and elevate their economic narrative to better attract investment, align stakeholders, and drive results.
At GBC, Mark led the consolidation of the region’s core economic development organizations—including the merger with the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore and the incorporation of BLocal and UpSurge Baltimore—bringing together business investment, innovation, and civic leadership into a more unified and coordinated entity. He is now advancing a multi-year strategy focused on attracting investment, scaling innovation, advancing infrastructure, and expanding economic opportunity, while strengthening how the Baltimore Region positions itself for continued momentum and long-term success.
Across his career, Mark has focused on aligning institutions and executing complex, cross-sector strategies that position markets for long-term success. As President of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, he helped reposition a 10-county economy around emerging industries while aligning business, academic, and civic partners to support investment and development. As Senior Vice President of Partnerships at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, he helped shape and advance global industry and investment strategies tied to job creation, neighborhood development, and economic expansion. In Los Angeles, he led a mayoral initiative to reform procurement, real estate, risk management, and interdepartmental systems—strengthening the city’s core operating systems to better deliver economic development outcomes.
Earlier in his career, he served as Publisher and Executive Director of City Limits, earning national journalism honors including Sigma Delta Chi and Deadline Club awards. He is also an award-winning writer and filmmaker.
Mark is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MBA), Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (MPA), and the University of Georgia (BBA), and serves on the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council, FUSE Corps, and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. Over the last decade, he has been recognized among the most influential leaders in business and economic development across multiple U.S. markets.