Power Moves: Ed Mullin chairs the new Baltimore Regional Tech Council

Power Moves is a column where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us: baltimore@technical.ly.

---

Baltimore Regional Tech Council launches with a new chair

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) has officially launched its Baltimore chapter, known as the Baltimore Regional Tech Council (BRTC), and appointed MTC steering committee member Ed Mullin to its chair position.

Mullin is currently the executive director of the Baltimore Robotics Center, as well as a fractional CIO and CTO consultant with operations consulting firm Think Systems Inc. The insight he gained working with the robotics center and inspiring future technologists will be instrumental to his chair role since, according to a statement, the BRTC wants to help fill Maryland’s estimated 20,000 open technology jobs.

“The school system, both K-12 and higher-ed, and boot camps aren’t putting a dent into the needs of the area tech workforce,” Mullin said. “The problem is huge in Baltimore.”

The creation of the regional tech council was detailed in the plan for the $5 million of government funds that the MTC received this year. A key component of that plan involved wraparound services to ease career transitions and entry. Baltimore residents can expect the BRTC to be a resource not just for local businesses but the community at large, with programs aimed at introducing technology to Baltimore’s disadvantaged areas.

Mullin’s goal is to produce at least four major BRTC events this year to improve the area’s tech sector’s visibility, the statement noted.

Salisbury University has a new president

Dr. Carolyn Ringer Lepre will effectively take over the presidency of Salisbury UniversityonJuly 15. She comes to this role after serving as interim president of Radford University in southwestern Virginia.

“I especially look forward to working in partnership with and celebrating our most important resource — our purpose-driven people,” Lepre said in a statement. “Empowering students to excel as scholars, citizens and practitioners — and instilling a passion for lifelong learning — is an incredible responsibility and privilege.”

The academic administrator and scholar of media studies succeeds Charles Wight, who served as the Eastern Shore school’s president for four years. Lepre’s strong track record in expanding academic programs and tailoring them to meet urgent needs (all while growing enrollment) made her a standout candidate for the presidency, according to a statement by the University System of Maryland‘s chancellor Jay A. Perman.

Bloom Health Centers hires new CFO

Peter van Riper is now the chief financial officer of Towson-HQed mental health services provider Bloom Health Centers.

“I look forward to helping our medical providers keep doing what they do best [by] removing the hurdles that would prevent them from serving our patients with the highest quality of care,” van Riper said in a statement.

He comes to the post with prior experience as CFO of Kinsa Health Inc. and cofounder and CFO of Peak Dental Services. Riper led growth strategies for each employer and, in Peak Dental Services’s case, led the company to an exit. At Bloom, Riper will be navigating the multidisciplinary mental health treatment provider’s increased scale, which came about when it was created from the merger of Psych Associates of Maryland and Comprehensive Behavioral Health in March.

“Peter is a thought leader with more than 20 years of experience in finance, strategy and operations, and we are confident he will help Bloom navigate the complexities of expertly providing care while eliminating barriers,” said Bloom’s president Lorraine Riche in a statement.

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.