The 2025 Leaders in Higher Education event, held on April 23 at UMB BioPark, was focused on talent retention in the Baltimore region.

With two roundtable discussions - one from a university and education perspective, and one from an employment and talent recruitment perspective - local change-makers and leaders came together to tackle recent questions and challenges in the Baltimore region with an eye toward collaborative problem-solving.

Participants discussed the role of higher education, government, business, and other partners in retaining talent and creating a thriving workforce, and renewed commitment to cooperation.

The 2024 Leaders in Higher Education event in April was a celebration of Collegetown's 25th anniversary. This event brought together higher education, civic, and community leaders to celebrate the collective impact of Collegetown’s mission.

We presented 25th Anniversary Awards to one staff member from each college and university who has made significant contributions to their student body and campus community. Speakers included Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, and Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman.

The second annual Leaders in Higher Education, held at Loyola University Maryland, honored Greater Baltimore's college and university presidents and leaders, elected officials, and collaborative champions. Collegetown presented research on student and alumni retention in the region, entitled "Strengthening Baltimore's Knowledge-Based Community: An exploration of factors that influence retention efforts of college graduates in the Baltimore region." (H. Benedict, R. Lopez, T. Sanchez, Vanderbilt University)

On April 19, 2022, Collegetown hosted the first Leaders in Higher Education reception, honoring Greater Baltimore's college presidents, elected officials, and collaborative champions. Dr. Freeman Hrabowski was the guest of honor as we celebrated his upcoming retirement from UMBC. With over 45 years as an educator in Maryland, President Hrabowski is a model of excellence, persistence, and transformation.

The 2022 event began a yearly tradition for Collegetown to celebrate and bring together changemakers in the region.