Ann Cotten

University of Baltimore, Schaefer Center for Public Policy

Ann Cotten has built her career around a single mission: strengthening the effectiveness of government in Maryland by developing and supporting the employees and leaders who deliver public service. As executive director of the University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy, she has secured $7.2 million in legislative appropriations from fiscal years 2023 through 2026 to fund two public service pipeline programs she created: the NextGen Leaders for Public Service Internship Program and the Maryland Certified Public Manager Program.

Cotten launched the NextGen Leaders program in 2022 to remove financial barriers that unpaid internships create for first-generation, self-supporting and low-income college students pursuing public sector careers. Since its launch, the program has placed 386 University of Baltimore students in 623 paid internships across state, county, municipal and nonprofit agencies, generating more than 100,000 hours of professional support at no cost to participating agencies. In its first year, the program was recognized as one of the strongest initiatives in the Volcker Alliance’s national NextGen Service Corps network.

Cotten created the Maryland Certified Public Manager Program in 2013 and led its statewide expansion in 2022. Since the expansion, 378 public sector managers from 23 Maryland jurisdictions have enrolled, with 297 receiving full scholarships funded through the appropriations she secured.

Her mentorship extends nationally through volunteer service with the National Consortium of Certified Public Manager Programs. Most recently, she guided a University of Virginia leadership team through the development of a Virginia Certified Public Manager program, expected to launch within 18 months.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women awards. Information for this profile was sourced from the honoree’s application for the award. The honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations, applications and letters of recommendation. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.