The Daily Record has named David Fike, President & CEO of Leadership Maryland, one of Maryland’s 2025 Most Admired CEOs.
Most Admired CEOs honors talented business CEOs, higher education leaders and nonprofit executive directors throughout Maryland whose leadership and vision are admired by those around them. A panel of judges selects these honorees based on professional accomplishments, community service and letters of reference submitted by co-workers, board members and community leaders showing the CEO’s leadership and vision.
Three-time winners are inducted into the Circle of Leadership, which honors sustained achievement over a period of at least six-years. This year’s inductees are Greg Abel, Abel Communications; Marco V. Ávila, P.E., Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Franklyn Baker, United Way of Central Maryland; Br. John Kane, FSC, Ed.D., Calvert Hall College High School; and Susan Malone, Wide Angle Youth Media. A listing of all the winners is below.
“The 2025 Most Admired CEOs are extraordinary leaders. They have impressive resumes, work to lead their companies to success and are truly admired by their peers, teams and in the community,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record. “They help to grow the next generation of leaders in Maryland by empowering those who work for them, those they work with on community boards and through mentoring. The Daily Record is pleased to recognize these outstanding CEOs.”
This year’s Most Admired CEOs will be honored at a celebration on Nov. 3 at the Hilton BWI, 1739 West Nursery Road in Linthicum Heights. Food stations, drinks and networking begin at 4:30 p.m., with the awards celebration at 5:30 p.m. followed at 6:30 p.m. with dessert, drinks and networking. The event hashtag is #TDRevents.
Attendance is limited. This event will sell out. Winners and sponsors receive priority. Sponsorship includes a table for guests, logo usage, multimedia marketing opportunities and more. Only sponsors will be guaranteed a table for their guests. If space is available after the sponsorship deadline, a limited number of individual tickets will go on sale. To secure a sponsorship, contact Suzanne Fischer-Huettner at [email protected].
Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the Nov. 4 issue of The Daily Record and will be available online at TheDailyRecord.com.
The Supporting Sponsor is Towson University. For more information and updated sponsorship information about The Daily Record’s 2025 Most Admired CEOs, visit thedailyrecord.com/event/most_admired_ceos/.
About The Daily Record
The Daily Record is a digital first, daily news media company focused on law, government and business at TheDailyRecord.com. The Daily Record publishes a print edition on weekdays in addition to more than 25 special products a year in a variety of industries including Power Lists. The Daily Record hosts 11 annual events to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities. These events include Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Most Admired CEOs, Influential Marylanders, Health Care Heroes, Icon Honors and more. The Daily Record’s Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting and email marketing, among other services. The Daily Record, with 137 years of editorial excellence, is part of BridgeTower Media, the authoritative voice for insights and marketing solutions across 40+ brands in five key sectors across the United States.
2025 Most Admired CEOs
***Indicates Circle of Leadership Inductee
Government
Karen Holt, Harford County Office of Economic Development
Brandi Stocksdale, Baltimore City Department of Social Services
Higher Education
Dr. Courtney Overton, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Falecia D. Williams, Prince George’s Community College
Nonprofit with less than $10 million in annual revenue
***Marco V. Ávila, P.E., Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Kim Callari, The Baltimore Station
Erika Strauss Chavarria, Columbia Community Care
David Fike, Leadership Maryland
Danista E. Hunte, Maryland Philanthropy Network
Mary D. Kane, Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Hye Yeong Kwon, Center for Watershed Protection, Inc.
***Susan Malone, Wide Angle Youth Media
Dr. Diandra Poe, Glass Soldier
Eddie Resende, World Trade Center Institute
Robin Rickard, Chrysalis House, Inc.
Michael Sakata, Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials Association
Nico Sanders, Community Housing Associates
Nonprofit with more than $10 million in annual revenue
***Franklyn Baker, United Way of Central Maryland
Tracy Broccolino, Community Action Council of Howard County Inc.
Bob Cohn, The Baltimore Banner
Johnathan Davis, Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc.
John Dumas, Service Coordination, Inc.
Bernard Gyebi-Foster, MBA, LCPC, Tuerk House, Inc.
***Br. John Kane, FSC, Ed.D., Calvert Hall College High School
Gregory T. Miller, Penn-Mar Human Services
Kristen Pironis, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County
Private company with 50 or fewer employees
***Greg Abel, Abel Communications
Patrick Collins, Greenspring Advisors
Dr. Nkem Okeke, Medicalincs
Stanford Oliver, Camelot Secure
Karen Pecora-Barbour, The Barbour Group, LLC
Kimberly Prescott, Prescott HR, Inc.
Dr. Jennifer Rios, Pinnacle Software Consulting Inc, DBA PSCI-LIA
John J. Scott, Jr., Westminster American Insurance Company
Private company with 51-149 employees
Kristen Valdes, b.well Connected Health
Private company with 150 or more employees
Steven Attman, Acme Paper & Supply Co. Inc.
Jack Dwyer, Capital Funding Group & CFG Bank
Kim Wireman, LCSW-C, LCADC, Powell Recovery Center, Inc.
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