Introducing The Daily Record’s Power Government & Lobbyist list

The ways that state and local governments influence our daily lives in Maryland are both prosaic and profound. From taxes to schools, street cleaning to dog licenses, there is very little that isn’t shaped or at least influenced by our various levels of government.

In this list, we offer the 40 men and women we believe are the most powerful figures in Maryland’s local and state governments.

Some of these individuals are well known, from the governor and top legislative leaders to mayors and county executives. But some on our list work very much behind the scenes, as lobbyists and representatives of industry, business and labor groups or as advocates for various public interests and causes. While they hold no office, they can play a powerful role in shaping local and state laws and policies.

This group was chosen by our editorial leadership team. We reached out to readers and others for suggestions and perspective.

In these pages, we explore how these men and women view the challenges facing state and local government and what they view are their most significant achievements. We also get a glimpse into the kind of people they are and what makes them tick.

This is the first in a series of Power Lists throughout 2023 that will showcase the most influential figures in law, higher education, banking and other fields, culminating with our Power 100 List of the most powerful people in the state.

You can find all the Power Lists here.

If you know of someone you think is a strong candidate for inclusion on our Power Lists, we’d love to hear from you. Just go to https://thedailyrecord.com/power-list-recommendation-form/ and tell us about the individual.

We hope you enjoy this publication, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Thomas Baden Jr.
Editor

See the Power Government & Lobbyist digital edition here.

Rick Abbruzzese
Vice President
KO Public Affairs

Angela Alsobrooks
County Executive
Prince George’s County

Calvin Ball
County Executive
Howard County

Ben Barnes
Chair, House Appropriations Committee
Maryland House of Delegates

Lorenzo Bellamy
Founder
Bellamy Genn Group

Bruce Bereano
Principal
Office of Bruce C. Bereano

Frank D. Boston III
Founder
Boston Plaust Attorneys

Jason C. Buckel
Minority Leader
Maryland House of Delegates

Bob Cassilly
County Executive
Harford County

Marc Elrich
County Executive
Montgomery County

Gerard E. Evans
Founder
Evans & Associates

Brian Feldman
Education, Energy and the Environment Committee Chair
Maryland Senate

Bill Ferguson
President
Maryland Senate

Hannah Garagiola
President
Compass Government

Helene Grady
Budget Secretary
State of Maryland

Melony Griffith
Chair, Finance Committee
Maryland Senate

Fagan Harris
Chief of Staff
Governor’s Office

Lisa Harris Jones
Founding Member, Attorney
Harris Jones & Malone

Steve Hershey
Minority Leader
Maryland Senate

Michael Johansen
Administrative Partner
Rifkin Weiner Livingston

Adrienne Jones
Speaker
Maryland House of Delegates

Mary Kane
President
Maryland Chamber of Commerce

Nancy J. King
Majority Leader
Maryland Senate

Marc Korman
House Majority Leader
Maryland House of Delegates

Ivan Lanier
Founder & Owner
Greenwill Consulting Group

Brooke Lierman
Comptroller
State of Maryland

Eric J. Luedtke
Legislative Liason
Governor’s Office

Nicholas Manis
Managing Partner
Manis Canning & Associates

Wes Moore
Governor
State of Maryland

Johnny Olszewski Jr.
County Executive
Baltimore County

Joseline Peña-Melnyk
Chair of the House Health and Government Operations
Maryland House of Delegates

Timothy Perry
Founder
Perry White Ross & Jacobson

Steuart Pittman
County Executive
Anne Arundel County

Gregory Proctor Jr.
President, CEO
G.S. Proctor

Delora Sanchez-Ifekauche
Principal
Cornerstone Government Affairs

Michael Sanderson
Executive Director
Maryland Association of Counties

Brandon Scott
Mayor
Baltimore

William C. Smith
Chair, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
Maryland Senate

Jheanelle Wilkins
Chair of Legislative Black Caucus
Maryland House of Delegates

Steve Wise
Senior Partner
Schwartz, Metz, Wise & Kauffman

Do you know a person who you feel should appear on one of The Daily Record’s future Power Lists? Take a few minutes and tell us why in this form.