The Maryland Stadium Authority, led by its 11-member Board of Directors (including current Chair Craig Thompson), prepares for a leadership transition following the 18-year stewardship of Executive Director, Michael Frenz. The new incoming leader will inherit a robust organization of approximately 128 employees and a $70 million operating budget, plus significant capital funds for statewide projects. Because the MSA has built a sterling reputation, it has become the State’s “Swiss Army Knife” for assessing, developing, and executing on major complex infrastructure projects. It is the expectation that the Executive Director will help to define a future-forward vision of the MSA, its opportunities, and where its priorities lie across a rapidly changing landscape.
Beyond managing the existing asset portfolio, they will require strong leadership and operational experience to strategically enact this vision not just externally across the MSA’s many stakeholders but also with its staff and internal systems and processes to develop a holistically nimble and efficient organization that exceeds the high expectations demanded of them.
With the MSA’s foundational sports mission, the new Executive Director will need to build trust and enduring connective tissue with their marquee tenants, the Orioles (owner David Rubenstein and President Catie Griggs) and the Ravens (owner Steve Bisciotti and President Sashi Brown). In the coming years, there will be a principle focus on Baltimore’s harborfront development and the transformation of the Camden Yards Sports Complex and M&T Bank Stadium into vibrant, year-round mixed-use districts. Still in early pre-assessment stages, the new leader must, nevertheless, be at the forefront of building strong, collaborative relationships to ensure that as these partnerships evolve, the State’s priorities and long-term needs are favorably met.
Beyond the stadium gates, the MSA acts as a strategic catalyst for Maryland’s growth, from the redevelopment of the historic Pimlico Race Course to the need for a modernized new convention center. There is also discussion on the potential for a professional soccer stadium and continued projects assessing state-wide community hubs such as schools, entertainment facilities, and mixed-use projects. The MSA also acts as lessor on a number of properties across the state, requiring foresight and financial acumen to maximize long-term return. Overall, the Executive Director must proactively collaborate with the MSA Board and state policy makers to determine the optimal balance between going "broad" as a statewide builder and "deep" as a specialist on defined scopes of work. Success in this role requires an engaging and consensus-focused personality and a willing public face for the MSA, one who is eager to engage with the community, the Governor’s Office, and the General Assembly to facilitate a shared vision for the state’s most ambitious capital project investments.
Internally, the Executive Director must provide nuanced and strategic top-down leadership to effectively facilitate communication and accountability across a matrixed organization. There will be a period of assessment and reorganization where core leadership skills will be required to provide direction, stability, and cohesion. A priority will be the modernization of internal structures and processes, making highly vertical silos more transparent and implementing systems that mitigate internal and external risks and minimize critical areas falling through the cracks. By fostering a people-and-service focused culture defined by proactive communication and continuous improvement, the Executive Director will bridge organizational gaps and ensure that the MSA’s internal engine not only reduces friction but creates additive value to the projects it manages.
Central to this evolution for MSA is the responsibility for assessing, mentoring, and developing talent across all levels of the organization. The MSA of today employs high-functioning teams of functional experts and the Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that continuity continues as workplace mores and professional / personal expectations evolve. They will be tasked with cultivating an inclusive and culturally diverse environment – one that authentically reflects the vibrant communities of Baltimore and Maryland. By encouraging innovation, diverse thinking, and a flexibility to take on complex issues, the Executive Director will ensure a resilient and top-tier workforce engaging with pride and enthusiasm to grow the MSA’s unique mission.
Finally, the Executive Director holds ultimate accountability for the MSA’s fiscal integrity and legal compliance, overseeing the financial engineering of public bonds and ensuring that all operations adhere to the highest standards of state and regulatory oversight. They must, above all else, remain steadfast to the utmost levels of integrity and commitment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Strategic Governance and Identity: Acts as the chief strategist and steward of the MSA’s near-term roadmap and long-term vision, partnering with the Board to define a clear organizational identity that balances specialized stewardship with large-scale statewide infrastructure mandates.
- Comprehensive Capital Management: Provides executive direction and oversight for both a robust asset portfolio as well as the planning, development, and delivery of complex, multi-billion-dollar construction initiatives, ensuring all projects consistently meet rigorous quality, budgetary, and schedule targets.
- Procurement and Leasing Partnerships: Centralized leadership in the selection of third-party vendors and critical negotiations to secure agreements that protect the public’s investment and maximizes economic impact.
- Creative Flexible Problem-Solving: Applies a continuous learning and nimble mindset to evaluate complex public-sector challenges, identifying new opportunities, methodologies, and efficiencies that enhance the MSA’s long-term value proposition to Maryland.
- Financial Integrity and Risk Mitigation: Exercises total oversight of the operating budget and diverse capital funding streams, implementing sophisticated systems to manage enterprise-level risks and ensure absolute fiscal transparency.
- Diplomatic and Public Liaison: Serves as the principal executive representative to the Governor’s Office and General Assembly, utilizing presence and political acuteness to navigate complex state priorities while safeguarding the MSA’s mission and public integrity.
- Internal Organizational Modernization: Transforms the MSA into a nimble, holistically structured environment by integrating cross-functional systems that enhance transparency and prevent operational oversights in a rapidly expanding project portfolio.
- Cultural Stewardship and Talent Development: Cultivates an inclusive workplace that reflects the state’s vibrant communities by mentoring high-performing staff and fostering a diverse environment where innovative ideas flow freely across the organization.
QUALIFICATIONS AND HIGHER EDUCATION
- Executive Leadership: A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible executive or senior leadership experience overseeing complex organizations, programs, or portfolios, preferably within a public, quasi-public, or similarly regulated environment.
- Fiscal Management: Demonstrated experience managing large operating and capital budgets, including fiscal oversight, internal controls, and accountability for public or institutional funds.
- Industry Expertise: Experience in one or more of the following areas, relevant to large-scale facilities or public infrastructure:
- Capital planning, construction, or major project management.
- Real estate development, asset management, or portfolio oversight.
- Property, venue, or facility operations and management.
- Public- or private-sector finance involving complex funding structures.
- Enterprise Oversight: Experience overseeing complex organizations with enterprise-wide responsibility.
A Master’s degree or higher in public administration, business administration, finance, law, engineering, or a closely related field (or demonstrated expertise to an equivalent level) is valued.
