Baltimore County Announces Economic and Workforce Development Director to Join Office of Maryland Attorney General

TOWSON, MD — Baltimore County Director of Economic and Workforce Development Leonard J. Howie III today announced he will depart Baltimore County Government to join the Office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, effective April 7, 2023.

Howie, who has served as Baltimore County’s director since September 2020, led Baltimore County’s efforts to improve workforce development, attract and retain businesses, and expand the County’s economy. Joining County Government amid the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic crisis, Howie helped coordinate the County’s economic stabilization and recovery efforts.

Prior to joining County government, Howie served as Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR), Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and as an Attorney Advisor with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

"On behalf of the people of Baltimore County, I extend my gratitude for Director Howie’s service to our residents and for his work supporting our efforts to build a better Baltimore County," Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. “We wish him the very best in his new role where he will continue to serve the people of Maryland.”

With Director Howie’s departure, County Executive Olszewski has appointed Baltimore County’s Senior Policy Advisor for Education and Workforce, Dr. Jennifer Lynch, to serve as Acting Director, effective April 8.

Dr. Lynch first joined Baltimore County as Baltimore County’s Director of Educational Partnerships where she has been responsible for advising the County on issues related to the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) and serving as a liaison to the Board of Education and BCPS administration.

As Baltimore County’s Senior Policy Advisor for Education and Workforce, Dr. Lynch’s expanded efforts have included assisting in developing Baltimore County’s new Public Health Pathways Program, an innovative workforce development partnership to connect residents in historically underserved communities with high-demand nursing positions through customized educational programming and community wraparound supports. She will continue to serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Education and Workforce as she assumes the role of Acting Director. Dr. Lynch holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Towson University, and a doctorate from the University of Maryland.

"Dr. Lynch has been a vital member of our senior leadership team and I am confident she will provide steady, thoughtful, and collaborative leadership to support the Department through this transition," Olszewski said.