When The Sun created its Maryland Business and Civic Hall of Fame in 2016, it set out to honor those who have made profound contributions to our area in a wide variety of ways. But choosing the most deserving among the many civic and business leaders in the region is no easy task. To help ensure a broad pool of potential nominees each year, we seek the assistance of our readers and a distinguished panel of community leaders.
This year’s selection committee was entirely made up of previous Hall of Fame inductees: Thelma Daley, national director of Women in the NAACP; law professor Larry Gibson; Brown Advisory President and CEO Mike Hankin; public relations executive Sandy Hillman; UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski; corporate board director Patricia “P.J.” Mitchell; and noted philanthropists Mary-Ann and Walter D. Pinkard.
The group offered suggestions for nominees earlier this year, which The Sun considered along with recommendations from the public and others, to make the final selection. We deeply appreciate their time and thoughtfulness in helping ensure that we compile the strongest possible 2021 class of inductees.