All-Around Entrepreneur To Head Economic Development Authority

One of the "Most Influential Marylanders" is taking the helm of Howard County’s Economic Development Authority (EDA).

Laura Neuman has been selected as the EDA’s Director and CEO, announced County Executive Ken Ulman in a statement Friday. Neuman is replacing Richard Story, who retired from the position in late February.

“Ms. Neuman stood out from a field of more than 70 applicants,” EDA Board Chair Peter Rogers Jr. said in a statement. “Laura is a visionary leader with deep roots in the private sector. She is someone who can speak the language of the entrepreneurial community that will help create Howard County’s future.”

Neuman, a Maryland native, is a graduate of Loyola University and an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Maryland. She served as director of the Chesapeake Innovation Center and was also CEO of Matrics Inc., formerly based in Columbia.

The Maryland Women's Heritage Center named Neuman “Most Influential Marylander.”

“Laura’s involvement in so many levels of business development, from entry-level positions at T. Rowe Price all the way to CEO of a company that was based in Howard County before it was sold for $230 million, offers a glimpse into the drive and passion that make her the ideal leader of the Economic Development Authority,” Ulman said in a statement.

“This is an extremely exciting opportunity,” Neuman said in a statement.

“Howard County has so many things going for it, and economic development is at the top of that list. With Fort Meade, DISA and CyberCommand all in our backyard, the innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities are endless.”