By Tashi McQueenAFRO Workers Writertmcqueen@afro.com
Tisha Edwards, former Maryland secretary of appointments, now serves as president and CEO of the Maryland Bankers Affiliation (MBA).
The MBA, a nonprofit group that advocates for Maryland banks, welcomed Edwards as president and CEO in April. Mollie Byron, beforehand the administration’s intergovernmental affairs and senior advisor, formally changed Edwards as secretary of appointments on April 4.
In an interview with the AFRO, Edwards spoke concerning the values that drive her work.
“I’ve been dedicated to and dealing in communities all of my skilled profession,” stated Edwards, 54. “I used to be born within the South and got here to Maryland to get my grasp’s diploma and my regulation diploma. Whereas I used to be right here in Baltimore, I simply discovered so many alternatives to contribute to the group.”
Edwards earned a bachelor’s from Georgia State College’s College of Social Work in 1998, a grasp’s from the College of Maryland College of Social Work in 2000 and a juris physician from the College of Maryland Francis King Carey College of Regulation in 2001.
Born and raised in Meridian, Miss., Edwards believes public service and the combat for fairness and justice are deeply rooted in her upbringing.
“I come from a household of girls who imagine deeply in schooling and felt like all of us have a duty to make the group higher,” stated Edwards.
Since 1998, she has held quite a few roles championing households, supporting youngsters and selling schooling.
From 2019 to 2021, Edwards served below then-Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Younger as director of the Mayor’s Workplace of Youngsters and Household Success. She additionally labored as a transition govt and chief of employees throughout Catherine E. Pugh’s first 12 months as mayor.
Edwards mirrored on her time working below Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D).
“I’ve loved working for Gov. Moore,” stated Edwards. “We’ve got an extended skilled relationship and we’ve finished plenty of nice issues collectively.”
Edwards led Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s gubernatorial marketing campaign as chief of employees, served in his cupboard and chaired the Job Power on the Modernization of the State Personnel Administration System. From 2017 to 2019, she additionally served as president of BridgeEdU, an schooling firm based by Moore.
“Since day one, Tisha Edwards has been the power behind our efforts to construct an administration that strikes with excellence and displays the communities we characterize,” stated Moore in an announcement. “The magnitude of her contributions to Maryland can’t be overstated.”
In keeping with the Moore-Miller administration, below Edwards’ management, 3,371 people have been appointed to Maryland’s boards and commissions–50.5 % of whom are ladies, 50 % of whom are folks of coloration, and 29 % of whom are ladies of coloration.
Edwards stated her transition to the MBA was impressed by the work wanted to strengthen the state’s banking trade.
“The governor has dedicated to growing Maryland’s competitiveness, and the banking group is a vital a part of that puzzle,” stated Edwards. “I felt prefer it was a good time to characterize an trade that’s vital to the way forward for Maryland.”
Edwards highlighted how important banks will be to Maryland’s communities.
“It’s the place you go to get your own home loans,” stated Edwards. “It’s the place you go to get entry to capital as a small enterprise proprietor. It’s the place you lower your expenses to your youngsters to go to varsity.”
Her targets for the MBA embrace strengthening ties with banks of all sizes, representing the pursuits of the banking trade in Annapolis, selling ladies of coloration in management and boosting group engagement.
As she enters this new chapter, Edwards stays dedicated to her longstanding work in fairness and public service, centered on enhancing the lives of all Marylanders.
