University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center Announces Board of Directors Appointees

GLEN BURNIE, Md. - (Sept. 13, 2023) UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) announces the appointment of three distinguished business leaders to the organization's board of directors and welcomes two seasoned executives to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation board of directors.

Sharon Akers, Tiffany Durr, and Ricky Smith will serve on the UM BWMC Board of Directors, bringing their expertise and commitment to further strengthen the hospital's mission of delivering high-quality health care services and fostering community well-being.

Smith serves as the Executive Director/CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration, where he manages operations for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Martin State Airport, and regional aviation activities throughout the state of Maryland. Durr is the Senior Director of Fund Investments at LISC Strategic Investments, where she oversees fund deployment, deal origination strategy, and manages the underwriting, approval, and closing process for over $850 million of social impact funds focused on racial equity and affordable housing across the United States. Akers, president of the Edward St. John Foundation and Executive Director of Special Projects for St. John Properties, oversees the company's outreach and involvement in initiatives and activities that support local communities. Akers is familiar with the University of Maryland Medical System, serving as a member of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Board of Visitors and previously as a member of the BWMC Foundation board.

Jennifer Chino and Jori Robinson will join the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation Board, working to raise awareness about UM BWMC in the community and garnering support for the organization's mission.

Chino is an accomplished agent for Sotheby's International Realty, where she specializes in home buying and selling, investment properties, luxury homes, and corporate relocation properties in Annapolis. Brig. Gen. Robinson was the first-ever female commander of the Commander of the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, and is being promoted to the deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations at the U.S. Air Force headquarters later this fall.

Each of these leaders has a proven track record of success and a deep commitment to serving the community. Their diverse backgrounds and knowledge of the local community will significantly contribute to UM BWMC's strategic decision-making, ensuring the hospital's continued growth and its ability to meet the evolving health care needs of the region.

"We are thrilled to welcome our newest board members, whose diverse expertise and strategic insights will help ensure that we continue our mission to provide outstanding health care and support to our community," said Kathy McCollum, CEO and President of UM BWMC. "Their leadership will guide us toward making positive impacts that strengthen health equity and raise health awareness, while ensuring that our hospital continues to be a trusted health care provider for the community."

About the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center

The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) is an acute-care facility that is part of the University of Maryland Medical System. It is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland and has 314 beds and more than 3,100 team members. It also has 1,200 medical providers on staff in over 50 specialties. For more information, visit www.umbwmc.org.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state's future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System's anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.