Global Executives from Maryland Honored at Leadership Awards Ceremony
Luminaries Bill Stromberg and Rebecca Hoffberger receive signature awards
Eight leaders from Maryland businesses that have global reach were honored today at the 26th annual Maryland International Business Leadership Awards ceremony.
The winners have helped lead the American Visionary Art Museum, T. Rowe Price, Ports America Chesapeake, Chutes International Manufacturing, Novavax, Inc., Chesapeake Specialty Products, Inc., Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and McCormick to being among the most successful businesses and recognized brands in Maryland, as well as worldwide. Videos related to each award winner can be found here.
Governor Wes Moore presented the Governor’s International Leadership Award to Bill Stromberg, who retired in 2021 as the company’s CEO after working there for 35 years. Among the reasons why Stromberg was chosen for the award are his global leadership and dedication to making Maryland a great place to live and work.
"Maryland is a key gateway to the United States – for investment, for ideas, and for trade,” said Governor Wes Moore. “As governor, I am committed to ensuring our state remains open to engagement from around the world. The World Trade Center Institute is a powerful leader in that effort, and I am grateful for their partnership."
The Global Visionary Award was presented to Rebecca Hoffberger, the founder and director/primary curator of the American Visionary Art Museum up until last year. During her 27-year tenure with the museum, she made her mark, turning a former whiskey warehouse and paint company in a quiet part of Baltimore into a world-renowned national museum that has touched the lives of the 14th Dalai Lama and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as countless others near and far. The museum has consistently been hailed by leading news, travel, and trade publications as one of the most desirable destinations in Maryland and the world.
Other winners were Ports America Chesapeake Vice President Bayard Hogans, Chutes International Manufacturing President Hadi Boustani, Novavax, Inc. President and CEO John Jacobs, Chesapeake Specialty Products, Inc. President Ken Sanchez, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service President and CEO Krish Vignarajah, and McCormick Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. Michael Okoroafor.
“Maryland is home to some of the most innovative, diverse, and forward-thinking businesses in the world,” said Eddie Resende, CEO of the World Trade Center Institute, which co-hosted the awards ceremony with the Maryland Department of Commerce. “Their steadfast leaders helped get them there. They serve as role models for so many people in Maryland and beyond who want to drive growth and global good.”
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About WTCI
The World Trade Center Institute empowers people with ideas and connections so they can drive growth and global good. We focus on existing and emerging global business leaders in the Mid-Atlantic – from high school students to executives in the C-Suite – whose work touches people in the United States and countries around the world. Our network includes 3,500+ companies and hundreds of academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, making it the largest network of global businesses in the Mid-Atlantic. We host events, offer fellowships, and curate global exchanges. For more information on WTCI, go to www.wtci.org.