FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2020

CONTACT
Kristin O’Keefe, VP of Communications & Marketing
kristin@thinkmoco.com
240.641.6703

SIGNIFICANT LEADERSHIP ADDITIONS INCLUDE BRAD L. STEWART AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND KRISTIN T. O’KEEFE AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Rockville, Md. – In his first month as President and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), Benjamin H. Wu has made immediate staffing additions in order to expand economic development opportunities for businesses in Montgomery County, Maryland. 

“There is a recognition from our elected officials and the business community that economic development must be a top priority for Montgomery County. MCEDC is ready to meet this mandate and has begun an organizational restructuring to best respond to industry, our County partners and stakeholders. That’s why one of my first steps has been to fill key business development and marketing leadership positions,” said Wu. “I’m pleased to welcome our five newest hires. Their strong expertise, experience and commitment to Montgomery County will support our mission to promote economic retention and growth.”

Brad L. Stewart, SVP for Business Development: Brad is a seasoned corporate executive who 
will lead business development. During his 23 years in Montgomery County, he has started and built global life sciences companies. He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Immunology Partners; prior to that he was CEO of Cylex. Brad has maintained a record of success across a diverse cross-section of the life sciences industry and has led the global life sciences strategy practices for major international consulting firms. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Tech Council and Chair of the Board of Directors for Maryland Life Sciences.

Connect with Brad L. Stewart

Kristin T. O’Keefe, VP for Communications and Marketing: Kristin is the first point of contact for media inquiries and comes to MCEDC with more than two decades of communications, public policy and advocacy experience in Montgomery County and the State of Maryland. A key member of the administrative team at Montgomery College under four presidents, Kristin helped create and implement strategic communications and advocacy plans that contributed to major investments in the college, including new STEM, healthcare, and arts facilities. Kristin has also worked as a communications consultant and her writing has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post. She previously staffed the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in the Maryland General Assembly. 

Connect with Kristin T. O’Keefe

Ron E. Stubblefield, Economic Development Specialist: Ron has a strong track record of helping business owners and entrepreneurs grow and develop their companies. A Montgomery County native, he has worked throughout Maryland including the South Baltimore Gateway Partnerships, where he focused on advancing diverse, equitable and inclusive economic development. Previously, Ron worked with the New York City Department of Small Business Services and served as the Assistant Director of Baltimore’s Emerging Technology Centers (ETC), where he helped manage the Incubation and Accelerator programs while serving as a legal and business advisor to ETC’s member companies. He received his law degree from New York University and a master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

Connect with Ron E. Stubblefield

Julie Martin, Economic Development Specialist: Julie arrives at MCEDC with 17 years of economic development experience across government, private industry and the not-for-profit sectors. A dual national of both Australia and South Africa, Julie’s previous experience includes serving as a Senior Project Manager for the New South Wales Department of Industry in the Trade, Tourism, Investment and Precincts division, where she worked across the life science and cyber security sectors. Her specialties include revenue growth, acceleration strategy, workforce development, start-ups, product marketing, capital raising, organizational design and international development. Julie holds a master’s degree from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Connect with Julie Martin

Ben Seigel, Opportunity Zones Project Leader: Ben joins MCEDC as a consultant on Opportunity Zones, a new Congressionally-created community development program to encourage long-term investment in designated lower-income communities. Profiled recently in Forbes Magazine as one of the top Opportunity Zone leaders in the nation, Ben will be promoting development in Montgomery County’s 14 zones by connecting potential investors to projects. A County resident, he has also helped facilitate Opportunity Zone investments in Baltimore. Ben previously worked at Johns Hopkins University as the first executive director of the 21st Century Cities Initiative and served in the Obama administration as a senior advisor to Labor Secretary Tom Perez. 

Connect with Benjamin Seigel

ABOUT MCEDC

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) is the official public-private economic development organization representing Montgomery County, Maryland. Created in 2016, MCEDC is led by a Board of Directors of business executives. Its mission is to help businesses start, grow and relocate in Montgomery County by helping them gain access to top talent, business and market intelligence and prime locations. For more information, visit our website. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.