Kelly Schulz is the new CEO of the Maryland Tech Council

Today, the Maryland Tech Council (MTC), a statewide tech and life sciences organization, announced that familiar face Kelly Schulz would be its new CEO.

Schulz, a former government official and tech and entrepreneurship leader, said she has strong hopes for the new role. Noting Maryland’s tech workforce strength, as well as its concentration of federal labs and higher education institutions, she plans to start by meeting the workforce development needs in life science and tech.

“At the Maryland Tech Council, we want to leverage all of these assets to help our members succeed and grow the innovation ecosystem in Maryland,” Schulz told Technical.ly.

Schulz has a storied history in both tech and government. From 2019 to 2021, Schulz served as the secretary for the Maryland Department of Commerce. In that role, she headed up the state’s economic development agency through the pandemic and launched a “soft-landing program” before leaving for a run for state office, being replaced by Mike Gill. Additionally, she was the secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor from 2015 to 2018, during which she grew its apprenticeship program.

Most recently, though, the Frederick, Maryland resident has been a familiar face on the state government scene, having run for governor earlier this year. She was also a prior member of the Maryland House of Delegates, elected in both 2010 and 2014.

Schulz succeeds Marty Rosendale, who was the MTC’s CEO for the past four years. Rosendale, while declining to share his next move just yet, said he will continue supporting the state’s life sciences industry.

“Kelly Schulz is the perfect choice to lead the Maryland Tech Council into its bright future,” Rosendale said. “She will set the organization’s course moving forward, and I have complete confidence Kelly and MTC will reach even greater heights in the future.”

The organization experienced robust growth under Rosendale’s leadership, including the nearly $5 million in state funding it received to launch the BioHub Maryland initiative. It also developed new chapters in both Baltimore and Prince George’s County.

“The Maryland Tech Council has enjoyed impressive membership growth for several years and we are committed to continuing that growth,” Schulz said. “We will continue building our relationships with policymakers to ensure the state protects and enhances our innovation climate.”