Margrave Strategies, the premier community-building consultancy in Maryland, announced today that William H. Cole IV, President and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp., is joining the firm as a partner.

Cole joins Ken Ulman, Margrave founder and former Howard County Executive, to create a powerhouse firm that develops and implements visionary plans so communities can leverage higher education, health care and entrepreneurialism to thrive in the 21st century.

Cole will begin in his new position in May.

“I’ve devoted my life to making Baltimore and the region better, and I believe that by joining Margrave, we will have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of Marylanders by envisioning the communities and neighborhoods where they will work, live and play,” Cole said.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to continue to grow neighborhoods and communities in Baltimore and throughout Maryland,” he said.

“Bill brings a unique set of skills and experiences to Margrave,” said Ulman. “His deep understanding of economic development, job creation and investment, combined with a knowledge of higher education and state and local government, will enable Margrave to serve more anchor institutions and engage in more communities throughout Maryland.”

Cole has served as President and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp., the city’s economic development agency, since 2014, working to bring growth and jobs to neighborhoods, commercial areas and business districts in Maryland’s largest city. His leadership paved the way for projects across Baltimore and added thousands of new residential units to a city with one of the nation’s fastest growing millennial populations in the United States.

During his tenure, Cole managed the public approval process for the 200-plus-acre Port Covington redevelopment project; and has led the city’s efforts to expand and renovate the Baltimore Convention Center complex, as well as the redevelopment of Pimlico Racecourse property to retain the Preakness Stakes while supporting economic development in the Park Heights neighborhood. He accelerated the disposition of city-owned real estate in Baltimore’s downtown west-side and supported anchor institution-led development projects around the University of Maryland-Baltimore and Morgan State University.

In order to provide continuity on important projects and at the request of the interim mayor, Cole will continue to work in a limited capacity on BDC priorities.

During his time at BDC, the organization has provided millions of dollars in grants and loans to support business and job growth in Baltimore. In addition to its lending portfolio, Cole was responsible for nearly 50 employees at BDC and enterprises like the Emerging Technology Centers, Made in Baltimore, and Foreign Trade Zone #74. He also created the nation’s first dedicated Opportunity Zone coordinator in an urban market, supporting Baltimore’s 42 opportunity zones.

Before joining the BDC, Cole was a member of the Baltimore City Council from 2007 to 2014, and served as the Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at the University of Baltimore for more than a decade. His public service also includes a term as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1998 to 2002, and six years as a Special Assistant to U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings.

Cole was co-chair of the Baltimore Opportunity Collaborative which in 2015 released the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development. He is a 2018 National League of Cities’ Equitable Economic Development Fellow and has been active in more than a dozen boards and commissions including Visit Baltimore; the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore; the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore; and the Central Baltimore Future Fund. He continues to serve as Chairman of the Baltimore Hotel Corporation and Cecil Bank.

About Margrave Strategies:

Margrave Strategies is an innovative strategic consulting firm that provides comprehensive economic development, planning and visioning services to institutions, businesses and other groups throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. Founded in 2014, Margrave Strategies has worked with the University of Maryland, College Park; Towson University; Bowie State University and Salisbury University, among other institutions and clients.