Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake named City Councilman Bill Cole to head the Baltimore Development Corporation, the city’s economic development agency, Thursday. He replaces Brenda McKenzie, who turned in her resignation after less than two years on the job.
McKenzie told The Sun she is leaving for “personal” and “family” reasons. Her last day on the job will be August 21.
Cole is in his second term representing the 11th district, which covers all of downtown plus portions of South and West Baltimore. He said he sees his new role as an opportunity to help grow Baltimore, which he calls “a city on the rise.”
Cole will be paid $190,000 to run the BDC. He is paid $62,000 a year as a councilman. McKenzie earned a salary of $208,000.
Cole graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a degree in government and earned a master’s in legal and ethical students from the University of Baltimore.
He served one term in the House of Delegates from 1999 to 2003 and was an aide to Congressman Elijah Cummings for seven years before joining the University of Baltimore in 2003 as associate vice president of institutional advancement.
Widely seen as an ally of the mayor, Cole played a role in bringing the Baltimore Grand Prix to town. He also supported a controversial $107 million tax incentive package for the Harbor Point project and served as a committee member in shaping the mayor’s 10-year financial plan.
When Cole officially leaves the city council, Council President Jack Young must organize a committee to pick a new councilman with the majority of its members from Cole’s district within seven days, according to city council rule 5-11. Young will also pick the chair of the committee.
The committee is to hold a hearing within 30 days after Cole leaves his post and recommend a nominee to the full council. The process can take up to 60 days.