Mayor taps councilman for top post at Baltimore Development Corp.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake tapped City Councilman Bill Cole to serve as president of the Baltimore Development Corporation Thursday.
Cole, a downtown resident and former state delegate who has represented the city’s 11th district since 2007, takes over for Brenda McKenzie, who left after less than 20 months at the quasi-public agency. Her previous posts include jobs in Boston and Chicago.
The BDC promotes economic development in Baltimore city. Its initiatives include the Emerging Technology Centers and the controversial city-owned Hilton hotel.
Cole told the Baltimore Business Journal he hopes to start on the job in early September.
“I realized I had worked with the overwhelming majority of people on some project or another,” Cole told the paper. “I’m comfortable stepping into an agency that has a lot of talent.”
Meanwhile, Cole’s council successor will be chosen by City Council and approved by Rawlings-Blake. His legislative district includes downtown, Bolton Hill, Federal Hill, Mount Vernon and Locust Point.
The Baltimore Sun’s editorial board has an insidery take on what Cole’s BDC appointment should mean.