Qlarant Chief Technology Officer Will Mapp, III joins the Leadership Maryland Executive Program class of 2025. As a member of the 32^nd class, Mapp joins 53 other executives from across the state to complete the eight-month, hands-on learning program.

Leadership Maryland’s flagship Executive Program is open to senior-level executives with significant achievements in either their careers and/or their communities. Leadership Maryland members have a desire to learn more about Maryland’s most critical issues and a personal commitment to be a force for positive change in their organizations, their communities, and their state.

As Chief Technology Officer, Will Mapp keeps a constant eye on the future and ensures Qlarant is at the forefront of the latest and emerging technologies. He has an extensive background in software product development and building new, innovative technologies. His focus is on delivering high customer value by using the right mix of human technique and advanced technology.

I’m excited to spend time with the other people in my class examining challenging issues,” said Mapp. “This allows me the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and engage in interesting dialog.”

The program runs from April to December, and includes five, two-day sessions focused on Maryland’s five main geographic regions. Sessions consider the most vital issues impacting economic development, education, health and human services, criminal justice, the environment, and multi-culturalism across the state. More than 100 experts representing Maryland’s business, government, education, and non-profit communities will serve as panelists and guest speakers.

Mapp has been with Qlarant since 2020 in the role of Chief Technology Officer and focuses his efforts on the company’s RIViR® technology—a high-powered, artificially intelligent, data analytics platform designed to identify risk and guide users to meaningful resolutions. Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Studio Code Works, a software development and technology solution company located in Silver Spring, Maryland. In that role, he built an IP portfolio spanning mobile, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and web technologies that included contracts with US Census Bureau (2 Patents Pending, Registered Trademarks, and Copyrights).

Mapp is a past Indus Entrepreneurs fellow of the RH Smith School of Business, has specializations in Gamification from the Wharton School of Business, and proven experience using machine learning and artificial intelligence in media.

“We are excited to announce our next class and welcome these accomplished and motivated individuals to the Executive Program,” said David Fike, President and CEO, Leadership Maryland (class of 2016). “After a careful review and interview process, I am confident that this class represents a powerful cross-section of leaders who have a strong desire to make a broader impact within our state.”

Several Qlarant leaders are graduates of the Maryland Leadership Executive Program including the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Technology Officer, and the former President of Qlarant Integrity Solutions. “We find the experience impactful for our senior leadership team,” said Qlarant Chief Executive Officer Ron Forsythe, Jr, PhD. “We are proud to continue our participation in this much respected program.”

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About Qlarant

Qlarant is a not-for-profit, nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse, improving program quality, and optimizing performance. The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Qlarant provides customized solutions for state, federal and commercial industries across the nation.

The Qlarant Foundation— the mission arm of the organization—has provided over $7 million in grants to charities throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. Qlarant has a 50-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Headquartered in Easton, MD, Qlarant has offices throughout the country and employs over 550 people. Qlarant is a five-time winner of the Best Places to Work award. For more information, visit www.qlarant.com or contact [email protected]

The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), the only premier trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry, awarded LYON RUM gold and silver medals in the 11th Annual American Craft Spirits Competition. Founder Jaime Windon was honored in person at the recent ACSA Convention & Expo in Tucson, AZ. Windon also serves on the board of the association, and although LYON RUM does not generally enter spirits in competitions, she felt compelled to select three LYON RUM expressions for entry this round.

“We’ve always been more focused on collaboration than competition,” says Windon, “However, this year I was inspired to showcase our rums, not only for the judges, but for the reception where hundreds of distillers gather to sample each other’s spirits on the final night of the convention. Being in community with our fellow American craft distillers is paramount, and sharing our spirits with each other is simply the best.”

The ACSA Competition is based purely on numerical scoring rather than typical collaborative discussions. Spirits are scored on appearance, aroma intensity, aroma complexity, palate concentration, palate complexity, body, character and nature of alcohol, texture, and finish.

In addition to Best in Show and the Best of Class distinctions, the judging panel awarded 35 gold, 162 silver, and 114 bronze medals. Only one gold medal was awarded in the rum category, making LYON RUM a true standout among it’s peers. LYON White Rum and Overproof Pineapple both received excellent scores and were awarded silver medals.

The Best of Class Rum distinction, the highest honor, was awarded to LYON RUM for the Sailors Reserve, one of the distillery’s signature rums. Sailors Reserve is double distilled from Louisiana sugar cane and molasses, in traditional pot stills, and aged for 2-years in former bourbon barrels before being bottled at 100 proof. While most people are familiar with LYON Dark Rum, spirits aficionados have always revered the Sailors Reserve. LYON RUM currently offers a variety of expressions, including six year round rums, two seasonal rum liqueurs, and special holiday releases.

“We love rum — and are incredibly proud that a young American rum earned the top honor,” Windon remarked. “After 11 years of being fully committed to producing a true cane-to-glass rum, it’s a wonderful feeling to see this spirit fully appreciated; enjoyed not only by our loyal rum lovers and peers, but also recognized as excellent by a panel of experts.”

Dedicated to improving the reputation of American Rum, Windon and her team are relentless advocates for rum, championing the merits and delights of cane spirits from all over the world.

“Rum is a truly global spirit, and yet it is also uniquely American. As the oldest craft distillery in Maryland, now in our 12th year of making rum, we are proud to reignite an interest in, and passion for, distinctive and delicious American rum,” Windon said.

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The distillery is open daily for complimentary samples in the Windon Distilling Spirit Shop & Tasting Room located at 605 S. Talbot Street, Unit #6 in Saint Michaels, Maryland.

For more info visit www.lyonrum.com

Maryland tech and consulting businesses would bear the brunt of a late-filed proposal to subject some business services to a 2.5% sales tax.

Nearly one dozen services would pay $944 million in sales taxes in fiscal 2026, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Department of Legislative Services. In that first year, technology and consulting services would pay nearly $625 million.

Kelly Schulz, chief executive officer of the Maryland Tech Council, said the tax will force businesses in her industry to close or leave the state at a time when growing the private sector has become a focus of Gov. Wes Moore (D).

“Governor Moore has repeatedly spoken about making life science and IT strategic industry sectors for investment and the need to have a strategy to grow these sectors,” Schulz said in written testimony that will be delivered at a House hearing Wednesday. “We agree with the governor’s sentiment. However, the additional 2.5% B2B sales tax is in direct contrast to that goal and risks to undermine efforts to support these industries.”

Moore this year made diversifying the state economy and easing the state’s dependence on federal employment a top priority. He has not said whether he will support the service sales tax, which was introduced only last week as lawmakers scramble to close a $3 billion budget gap.

“We’re going through it and looking at it now, but I had three principles that I laid out when we first introduced our budget,” Moore told reporters last week. “And that was we had to be able to give middle class families a bit of relief, and we had to be able to make sure that we weren’t going to build the economy on their backs. The second was that we had to make it easier for businesses to be able to come here and grow and scale in Maryland. The third was that we have to invest in our people whatever proposals come out of this.

“If it meets those criteria, that’s a proposal that I will work with and I’m good with, but if it does not, that’s not a proposal that I am good with,” he said.

Ferguson warns of ‘Maryland recession’ as report says state has greatest risk from federal cuts

Schulz wrote that the General Assembly should “view its actions through a lens of economic competitiveness.”

The legislative analysis characterizes the effect on small business as “potentially meaningful.”

Schulz, in her testimony, is more blunt.

“This proposal will put Maryland at a disadvantage in growing, attracting, and retaining businesses, including those in the life sciences and technology sectors. Maryland is already a costly state to conduct business; this proposal would further exacerbate those operating costs,” she said.

Schulz is one of more than 400 businesses signed up to testify against the House version of the bill at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing Wednesday. The businesses, ranging from small companies such as Chick & Ruth’s Delly in Annapolis and Phillips Seafood, to Under Armour and Northrop Grumman, will be limited to 90 seconds of testimony each.

The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee will hold a hearing later on Wednesday afternoon on the identical Senate Bill 1045.

Analysts project that the tax, as currently drafted, could generate more than $1.4 billion by fiscal 2030.

House Majority Leader Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery), lead sponsor of the House bill, said “the starting point for this year’s discussion was a much narrower bill” than the sales tax on all services he unsuccessfully proposed last year.

“Whether every category in here stays, I can’t tell you, because the committee is going to have to take a look at and figure out what they what they want,” said Moon.

Moon said he didn’t draft this year’s bill with a revenue target in mind.

“I think the hope is, and whether it’s this tax proposal or more cuts or additional different revenues than what this one’s proposed, I think the hope is to, obviously, we have to deal with the current $3 billion (deficit), and to try and leave some cushion for additional hits from the federal government,” Moon said. “The Board of Revenue Estimates write-down of $280 million or so was a floor. I think many of us are looking at what’s going on and anticipating significant additional revenue drops to be announced in the coming months.”

On Monday, Moody’s Ratings released a report  that said Maryland was the most vulnerable state in the nation to ongoing federal budget cuts and employee layoffs. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) warned of the potential for a “Maryland recession” because of the cuts.

Maryland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mary D. Kane said the service tax proposal has united the business community.

“The overwhelming opposition from the business community isn’t about avoiding responsibility — it’s about preventing a policy that will do more harm than good,” Kane said in a statement. “A strong economy is the foundation for sustainable funding, and we remain committed to working on solutions that address the budget deficit without driving businesses, jobs, and investment out of Maryland.”

The proposal appears to have some support in both the House and Senate. Ferguson, speaking to reporters Tuesday, said the bill deserves serious consider

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ation.

Both Ferguson and Moon said the legislature will likely reach a compromise on a budget with more than $2 billion in cuts.

“This is one of the tougher parts of this job is when you have a deficit like this and trying to figure out how to get out of it,” Moon said. “We said at the beginning of this session, not everyone was going to be happy. Someone was going to have to take a haircut on the policy decisions coming out of here.”

He warned that failing to find revenues would result in important services being cut.

“If they’re ready to line up for a billion in additional cuts — we’re talking about DDA [Development Disabilities Administration], health care, things like that, things that people currently don’t seem to have an appetite for cutting — certainly they’re welcome to put things back in that posture,” Moon said. “Alternatively, we had all sorts of other tax proposals, itemized deductions, combined reporting, I-gaming. Those are all in the same committee.

“That same committee has heard all of these proposals,” he said. “Every single one of them is going to bring out different people who really don’t want it. So, I just think that’s where we are.”

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by Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters
March 11, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].