From a diverse and accomplished pool of nominees, The Sun has selected 11 men and women for the 2018 class of its Maryland Business and Civic Hall of Fame. This year’s group, which includes pioneers in the law, finance, business, technology and philanthropy, will profiled in a special section of The Sun and honored at an event in June.
Norman Augustine
Retired Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine has had a profound influence on U.S. defense and space policies over his long career, and he has been unfailingly generous in providing his expertise to organizations like the Red Cross and Boy Scouts as well as to his adopted home state of Maryland.
Robert Bell
Robert Bell’s first exposure to the courts came when, as a 16-year-old Dunbar student, he was arrested on trespassing charges while engaged in a lunch counter sit-in. His last was as chief justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals. In between, he served as a pioneer in civil rights and a generous mentor to countless other lawyers.
Chet Burrell
After decades in the health care industry, Chet Burrell took over as CEO of Maryland’s largest insurer, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in 2007. There, he helped lead the transformation of Maryland’s health care system with innovations that incentivized high quality coordinated care — at lower cost.
Joseph Haskins
When Joseph Haskins co-founded Harbor Bank of Maryland, it was the first minority-owned, full-service commercial bank in Baltimore’s history. Thirty-six years later, it is one of only a handful of such institutions in America. Despite increasing pressures, Mr. Haskins has kept Harbor Bank independent and true to its community-supporting mission.
Mark and Patricia Joseph
He is a former chairman of the city’s school board, she is a former dean at Stevenson University, so it is no surprise that Mark and Patricia Joseph have focused their extensive philanthropy on education, particularly programs related to school readiness and educational leadership. They are also major donors to arts organizations, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Diane Bell-McKoy
Diane Bell-McKoy’s career has been focused on providing opportunities for low-income and working poor Marylanders. For years, she led Baltimore’s successful Empowerment Zone, and since 2007, she has been president and CEO of Associated Black Charities, working to close health and economic disparities for people of color in Maryland.
P.J. Mitchell
The former vice president of global sales operations for IBM Global Technology Services, a consultant and corporate board member, P.J. Mitchell has served as a mentor and inspiration for Maryland women in business while also developing deep involvement in the United Way and other philanthropic causes.
Ronald Peterson
It would be difficult to overstate Ronald Peterson’s impact on the Johns Hopkins Health System, from which he retired as president at the end of 2017. He transformed the old Baltimore City Hospital into the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, laid the ground work for Johns Hopkins Community Physicians and oversaw the massive expansion of Johns Hopkins Hospital. But his career was truly marked by his vision for using Hopkins’ influence to provide opportunities for Baltimoreans in need.
Ed St. John
The founder of one of the region’s largest commercial and residential real estate development firms, Ed St. John has spent the last decade giving away a fortune to institutions including the Maryland Science Center, Shock Trauma, McDonogh School, Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy and the Living Classrooms Foundation, most of it with the goal of helping provide educational opportunities for children from impoverished backgrounds.
Ronald M. Shapiro
Best known as a sports agent to superstars like Cal Ripken Jr., Ron Shapiro has become an apostle of win-win negotiations, helping people learn to productively resolve everything from business disputes to international conflicts. In books, speeches and philanthropic pursuits, Mr. Shapiro has worked to foster peace and reconciliation in troubled regions from the Middle East to Africa to Northern Ireland.