Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO Donald C. Fry plans to retire on June 1 after 23 years with the private-sector organization, including more than 19 in the top job.
The GBC’s board of directors will conduct a national search for Fry’s replacement, with the goal of having his successor in place by June 1, according to chair Calvin G. Butler Jr.
“I’ve been blessed and honored to have served with so many of the top leaders in the private sector over more than two decades and worked closely on a number of major challenges and issues with elected leaders at the state and local government level,” Fry said in a statement. “I’ve enjoyed every minute at the GBC and am very proud of our work during my tenure, but it’s time for a new chapter.”
After June 1, Fry will serve as a consultant to the GBC until Dec. 31. He is the second longest-serving president and chief executive in the organization’s 67-year history.
Butler, the senior executive vice president and chief operating officer for Exelon, said Fry’s record of achievement will be hard to match.
“Don Fry has been a leader among leaders in the Baltimore region and the state for the entire time he’s been the President and CEO of the GBC,” Butler said in a statement. “He has been a tireless champion of the GBC’s agenda and of the Baltimore region. Under his stewardship, the GBC has been seen as a trusted and respected pro-business organization in the state.”
In addition, “he served on countless boards, commissions and task forces every time he was asked to do so,” Butler said. “This commitment underscores just how dedicated Don was each and every day to making the Baltimore region a great place to live, work, study and visit. We are a better city and region because of Don’s remarkable imprint.”
The GBC was founded in 1955 as an action committee designed to bring together leaders from the city’s commercial, industrial and professional sectors to come up with a plan to rebuild downtown, after a major department store and other businesses began to move out. One of its first projects was Charles Center, a 33-acre renewal area in the heart of the city.
Since then, the GBC has come to be recognized as a leading voice for the business community on issues relating to economic growth, job creation, workforce development, transportation, quality of life and other matters.
Fry said the decision to retire was difficult but “timing is everything. The legislative session wraps up in April; the GBC’s Annual Meeting electing new directors is on May 25; the primary election is in June and new elected officials will be moving into place in the fall. It’s the perfect time to transition to new leadership at the organization that is the bridge between business, government and the community.”
Among the achievements Fry is proud to have accomplished while leading the GBC include:
- Successful legislative effort to keep the Preakness in Baltimore and support a plan to renovate Pimlico Race Course into a year-round sports and community facility.
- Establishing in 2003 the Bridging the Gap program to recognize, honor and support women and minority-owned businesses.
- Launching in 2018 the GBC’s Baltimore Women’s Advisory Board to establish Baltimore as a leader in gender diversity and equality in the workplace.
- Consistent advocacy for major transportation projects, funding and policies for the state and Baltimore region.
- Leading the creation and publication of the GBC’s Gaining a Competitive Edge report, which established eight core pillars for a competitive business environment and job creation in Maryland and outlined how businesses can unite with the public sector to solve complex public issues.
Fry began his tenure with the GBC in April of 1999, when he joined the organization as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. He served in that role until November 1, 2002, when he was named President and CEO.
As president and CEO Fry has worked with more than 600 individual board members, including leaders in the corporate, philanthropic, healthcare and higher education sectors in the Baltimore region.
Before joining the GBC, Fry maintained a private law practice in Harford County. He also served in the Maryland General Assembly, initially as a member of the House of Delegates, where he served on the Ways and Means Committee and the Appropriations Committee and chaired its Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment. He later served in the state Senate, where he was a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee.
The GBC’s board plans to recognize Fry’s years of service at its annual meeting in May, one week before the start of his retirement.
