Organization to celebrate 30 years of service by Adams at Maryland International Business Awards reception April 11

The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), Maryland’s premier international business network, has announced that following 30 years of service, Harold Adams has transitioned from board chairman to chairman emeritus. Todd Ruppert, founder and CEO of Ruppert International, was named WTCI’s new chairman of the Board of Directors.

WTCI was founded in 1989 by Governor William Donald Schaefer, Adams and a founding Board of Directors comprised of leading business people in the region to act as an international business educational organization. One of the first items was electing a chairman for the Board, to which Schaefer said Adams was the “perfect person for the position.” Over the next 30 years, Adams was instrumental in shepherding in strong leadership and a vision for WTCI.

“For 30 years, we’ve empowered globally minded leaders with new ideas and valuable connections, and that is in large part due to the leadership of Harold Adams and our board,” said WTCI CEO Deborah Kielty. “We are so fortunate to have Todd Ruppert step into the chairman role to drive us forward.”

In addition to his contributions to WTCI, Adams helped take RTKL from a small Annapolis practice to a global leader in architecture, planning and design with 14 international offices and 1,200 employees. After joining RTKL in 1967, Adams became president in 1969, CEO in 1971 and chairman in 1987. Adams received his BA in architecture from Texas A&M and is a current TIAS Faculty Fellow. Adams has served on several boards in addition to WTCI, including Legg Mason, Lincoln Electric and Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.

“While we look ahead as an organization, we won’t forget how we got to this point,” said Kielty. “Harold has been our champion, always willing to go above and beyond for WTCI.”

Gov. Larry Hogan joined the World Trade Center Institute in recognizing Adams’ dedication to the organization with the presentation of a World Trade Center Institute Captain’s Chair, memorializing his time at the helm of the organization, at the 2019 Maryland International Business Leadership Awards reception on April 11, 2019.

“Harold’s efforts were instrumental in WTCI becoming the incredible organization that it is today. We are all most grateful for the time and resources he so graciously dedicated to get us here. I know I’ve got big shoes to fill, but I am excited by the challenge,” said Ruppert.

Ruppert currently is involved in numerous activities spanning the globe in areas including education, financial services, media, publishing, arts and entertainment, and consulting. He is a venture partner at Greenspring Associates, a senior advisor to and board member of numerous for-profit companies worldwide as well as nonprofit organizations such as INSEAD business school, London’s Royal Parks and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He retired from T. Rowe Price in 2012 where he led the firm’s global expansion as CEO of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services.

Following recent changes to the WTCI bylaws, Ruppert will be the first to serve as chairman for a three-year term.

About WTCI

The World Trade Center Institute serves as Maryland’s premier international business network. With a mission to drive international collaboration and business growth, WTCI helps educate and connect local and global leaders in the private, public and academic sectors. Its reach extends through partnerships with Maryland State Government (Commerce, MDOT, MDA, etc.), 300+ World Trade Centers across the world, the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank network, and more. Its events continue to draw more than 1500 attendees from diverse companies across the region; the Professional Exchanges Program welcomes more than 700 visitors each year, and Maryland’s top companies are among the list of WTCI members. For more information on the WTCI, visit https://www.wtci.org.