University of Maryland Working With Former Prince George’s County Executive Baker on Executive Leadership Initiative

The University of Maryland is working with Former Prince George’s County Executive, Rushern L. Baker, III, to establish a national executive leadership training program for local government officials with the university’s School of Public Policy.

The program will bring together Baker’s more than 20 years of government and legal experience, including eight as County Executive, with the School of Public Policy’s expertise in developing innovative solutions that address the ever-increasing policy challenges facing local leaders.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy in launching a training program for newly elected local officials,” said Baker, past president of the County Executives of America, and two term member of the Board of the National Association of Counties. “As I learned first-hand, most elected officials, myself included, campaign in poetry but must quickly transition to prose once they get in office to deal with a host of complex and challenging issues awaiting them. I look forward to utilizing both my wealth of experience as an elected executive as well as my extensive contacts within the National Association of Counties, the County Executives of America and a host of other national organizations to build better leaders through the approximately 25,000 counties and cities that exist throughout the United States.”

"I'm thrilled that Rushern Baker is launching this training institiute for newly elected county and city officials, in partnership with our School of Public Policy. The expertise and experience that he brings, joined with the academic assets of the University of Maryland, will result in an outstanding leadership and training," said UMD President Wallace D. Loh.