Good morning Baltimore!
The weather is heating up and so are the Orioles after they beat the Yankees 17-5 (not a typo) last night. While the Orioles head to Texas to take on the Astros, the heat will make its way to Baltimore, with temperatures expected to be in the mid-to-upper 90s today, Saturday and Sunday.
Some people will try an unusual method for staying cool: jumping in the Inner Harbor (also not a typo). That's right, this Sunday 150 people along with some local luminaries like Mayor Brandon Scott and Comptroller Brooke Lierman will take the plunge as part of "Harbor Splash," an event put on by the Waterfront Partnership as part of its campaign to make Baltimore's waterfront fishable and swimmable. The event comes after the organization collected data last year that found the harbor is safe to swim in the majority of the time, as long as it hasn't rained recently and washed pollutants into the water.
Best of luck to those brave souls. Now, onto the news.
Forbes names best banks, credit unions in Maryland
Forbes has released a list naming the best banks and credit unions in each state, including Maryland. To compile the annual ranking, the publication partnered with Statista to survey 26,000 U.S. residents about their experience with banks and credit unions and also took into account online text reviews and ratings. The best banks in Maryland are New York-based Citibank and Virginia-based Capital One, according to Forbes, though Citi doesn't have a presence in Greater Baltimore. The top credit unions are Lexington Park-based Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Towson-based Baltimore County Employees Federal Credit Union, Edgewood-based Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union and Linthicum-based SECU, according to Forbes. SECU is the largest credit union in Maryland while APGFCU, which is currently on the hunt for a new CEO, ranks in the top three in Greater Baltimore, according to BBJ research.
National accounting firm names new Baltimore office head
A Baltimore native has been tapped to lead the local office of one of the city’s largest accounting firms. Mary Kate Federico will lead Ernst & Young LLP’s Baltimore office starting July 1. The BBJ's Garrett Dvorkin has more on Federico and her new job.
Hopkins grad student union files unfair labor practice charge
The Johns Hopkins University graduate student workers union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the university, just a few months after ratifying its first contract, the Baltimore Sun reports. The union, Teachers and Researchers United, said Thursday that the university illegally established new work requirements for Ph.D. students as retaliation for the contract. The charge was filed with the National Labor Relations Board and Hopkins said in a statement that the university has acted consistently with the collective bargaining agreement and will follow the NLRB process to address the charge.
Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation names next board chair
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation has named Exelon Corp. CEO Calvin Butler as its next board chair. Butler, who has been on the board for a decade, becomes the sixth board chair since the Baltimore foundation's inception in 2001. He will serve a renewable two-year term, the organization announced this week. Exelon and the foundation recently partnered to bring STEM centers to schools across the country.
Baltimore Museum of Art appoints new senior leaders
The Baltimore Museum of Art has added some new executives to its leadership team. Angela Wheeler, who was most recently associate vice president of campaign operations at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), has been named chief of external affairs, where she will oversee the advancement and marketing and communications teams. Elisabeth Callihan has been named chief education officer and comes to the BMA from the Mississippi Museum of Art. Anna Lincoln Whitehurst, who previously worked at the Irvine Nature Center in Baltimore, has been named senior director of advancement.
Sports equipment resale store opens in Baltimore County
Play It Again Sports, which allows customers to buy, sell and trade used sports and fitness equipment, has opened a store in Timonium. The location at 2080 York Road, Ste. 140, opened yesterday and adds to Maryland stores in Baltimore, Ellicott City, Westminster, Crofton and Frederick. Play It Again Sports is part of the Winmark Corp., a national retail resale franchise that focuses on sustainable, small business formation via resale.
Local Girl Scouts CEO out to show it's not just about cookies
Shernette Grant became CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland in late April, taking over for longtime leader Violet Apple. For the latest edition of The BBJ Interview, we spoke with Grant about her background and what's next for the organization.
Royal Farms announces theme for Chickenpalooza 2024
We'll send you off to the weekend with the news you've all been waiting for: Royal Farms has announced the theme for Chickenpalooza 2024. The annual promotion for the Baltimore-based convenience store chain will start July 2 and have a spy theme. In addition to offering a number of special meal deals, Royal Farms will offer espionage-themed merchandise, including T-shirts, "Clucker Chronicles" spy notebooks and "stealthy mini chicken toys." The chain's beach locations will also have "Classifried" beach towels available for purchase.
