Team Bios
FIND A TEAM MEMBER:
Lynne Stein Benzion •
Laurie Boyer Babb •
Aaron Bogage •
Nicole Cantarella •
Frankie Clogston, Ph.D. •
Colleen Coyne •
Narbeli Galindo •
Romola Ghulamali •
Stacey Minott Hardy •
Joseph Hurst •
Manu Lizzio-Hashime, MBA •
Sandra Magwood •
Michael Mitchell •
Prayas Neupane •
Raven Padgett •
Jay Pascua •
Patty Simonton •
Bill Tompkins •
Sarah Trujillo
Bill Tompkins is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), based in Rockville, Maryland. He leads a team of 25 diverse professionals who work to fulfill the mission of making Montgomery County one of the most diverse, equitable and best places to be in business in the country. Bill was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and has been with MCEDC since January of 2019.
Bill has a deep background in marketing, business operations, strategic planning and nonprofit management, with most of his career serving as a senior executive in the media and entertainment industries with Fortune 500 companies. From 2009 until 2018, Bill ran a consulting practice which advised companies on strategic business opportunities and brand transformation strategies.
Previously, Bill was Vice President, Advertising and Marketing at the Philadelphia Tribune. He made a strategic investment in the Tribune to help ensure the long-term sustainability of Black media in the U.S.
In July 2012, he was named President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a Washington based organization, which represents over 200 Black owned and operated newspapers across the nation.
Past leadership experience included work at the Eastman Kodak company as Chief Marketing Officer for the Entertainment Imaging Business unit and became Vice President and General Manager of the Motion Picture Film Group while also serving as a corporate vice president.
Prior to Kodak, Bill spent nineteen years at the Washington Post in a variety of executive positions, culminating in a position as Vice President of Marketing with most of his career spent in the Advertising and Circulation Departments.
Bill has been in active leadership positions on several nonprofit Boards. They include the Mosaic Theater Company of D.C. where he is Treasurer and the former Chair of the Board, Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), Worksource Montgomery and the Advisory Boards of the Universities at Shady Grove and Montgomery Moving Forward.
He was previously Chairman, National Kidney Foundation of the National Capital Area; member of the Board of Directors, California Chamber of Commerce; the Advertising Council; the Studio Theatre; The Washington Convention and Visitors Association; The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington; the American Black Film Festival Advisory Board; and The Helen Hayes Awards Committee. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and a graduate of Leadership Washington.
Bill received his MBA from the Harvard Business School where he was a General Motors Fellow and received his BA in Economics, magna cum laude from Tufts University.
Lynne is MCEDC’s Director of Economic Development, charged with helping businesses locate, grow and expand in the county. The life sciences are her main area of focus, and she has assisted companies at every stage including startups (On Demand Pharmaceuticals, Autonomous Therapeutics), emerging companies (Seraxis), commercial-stage businesses (REGENXBIO, Vigene Biosciences, Supernus) and global corporations (QIAGEN, Novavax). Her knowledge in life sciences and the local business community gives her unmatched expertise.
She was the Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Business Development Board in Palm Beach County, Florida, where she was responsible for short-and long-term planning, special projects, and strategy development. Lynne served as Deputy Director for much of her ten years at Rockville Economic Development, Inc, (REDI). In addition to retention and redevelopment duties covering a wide range of industries, she orchestrated major conferences and was a public face of the organization, regularly tapped by media for her business expertise.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, she holds a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council, earned by only 1,200 people nationwide. It indicates extensive experience and continuous education in the field. She is active on IEDC’s Higher Education Advisory Committee and its Redefining Equitable Economic Development Committee and as a CEcD mentor, and is also a graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Class of 2012.
Laurie is part of the Business Development team with a focus on key industries including hospitality, finance and insurance, along with efforts to support corporate headquarters. She is also managing the VLT Loan Fund program which is a great tool to assist small businesses with working capital to grow their companies.
Laurie brings to MCEDC more than 20 years’ experience in economic development and has held multiple key positions with Montgomery County organizations. She was the Economic Development Manager for Montgomery County Government responsible for overseeing targeted economic development incentive programs, administering contracts with vendors providing economic development services on behalf of the County, and providing support services to local businesses. Prior to that, Laurie was the Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), responsible for supporting business attraction, growth, and entrepreneurial support in the City of Rockville. She also previously served as the Executive Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.
Laurie earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications/Spanish from Juniata College in Pennsylvania, along with a master’s degree in Communication Studies from West Virginia University. She has held a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation since 2006. A graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Class of 2014, she is also a member and past president of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), a member of NAIOP MD|DC serving on the NAIOP Leadership Committee, and a member of CREW MD Suburban.
As MCEDC’s Creative Director, Nicole is involved in all aspects of the marketing department from website design and implementation to branding, producing collateral materials and coordinating outside partnerships. In her role, she created the branding and creative roll out for #MaskUpMoCo to help promote correct mask wearing throughout Montgomery County. She partners with the Montgomery County Food Council on their Food & Beverage Guides. She is also a coordinating member of the group organizing the Montgomery Can Code program for middle schoolers. Nicole’s previous experience includes work at advertising agencies, in-house creative and design studios. These include public affairs firm GMMB, Discovery Communications, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, AARP and Toys “R” Us.
Nicole is a graduate of the Corcoran College of Art + Design. She lived overseas for most of her childhood as the daughter of a State Department Foreign Service Officer, residing in Belgium, Canada, Chad, Djibouti, France and Mexico. From her early globe-trotting experiences, Nicole has an appreciation for the diversity represented in Montgomery County.
Narbeli Galindo is Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s Business Community Engagement Manager, Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Narbeli is proactive in her outreach to diverse, minority and ethnic chambers of commerce and other business groups. Diverse communities include disabled, veteran, LGBTQIA, minority and ethnic chambers of commerce—with the goal to collaborating with local communities and informing them of the economic assistance and partnerships available. She is passionate about reaching and helping underserved communities.
Narbeli brings combined experience as both an entrepreneurial business owner and an economic development leader. She founded and was president of a consulting firm, Global EITrade, working with several companies to lead them on growth and expansion globally and locally. Additionally, she was Baker University’s Mealman Chair of Leadership and Innovation with the task of implementing the first ever Entrepreneurship program for the institution and developed new global trade and business courses in her position of Associate Professor of Business and Economics.
Previously, she held the post of Economic Development Corporation Director of International Affairs and Trade responsible for all global aspects of the Kansas City, Missouri development appointed by the former City Mayor. Narbeli was also Managing Director of her own importing business, Narbeli’s Imports LLC, and was a University of Missouri Kansas City International Business and Finance professor. She also brings to Montgomery County corporate experience, having held leadership positions with major companies Cerner Corporation, Sprint, AT&T and Warner Lambert Co.
She served as the 2013 Past President of The International Trade Council of Kansas City and as a Board of Director member for both the International Trade Centre and International Relations Council, Kansas City.
Narbeli earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Business Administration in International Marketing and Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. Recognized for Entrepreneurial Achievement for the Fast Trac New Ventures program at Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, she is dedicated to continuous business and executive training to further her skills to help local community business owners. She’s received certifications from recognized institutions such as Kauffman, Harvard Business School and NCBFFA on key industries and subjects that will help her integrate with businesses in Biotech, Global Business, Leadership, Strategic Execution, Entrepreneurship and Export/Import Global Trade.
Romola Ghulamali is MCEDC’s Business Operations Specialist, working directly with the VP of Operations. In her role, she provides support to the organization in Human Resources, Employee Benefits, Administration, Partnership Grants and Financial Management. Externally, Romola helps process invoices for payments including for grants that MCEDC manages. This task frequently includes communicating directly with applicants to ensure all proper documentation is submitted. Internally, Romola assists with employee benefits support, public and private sponsorship and partnership requests and other administration functions.
Previously, she has worked as an office administrator at the local Heritage area and the county tourism offices where she managed grants, wrote copy and proofread materials. She has been a Girl Scout troop leader and an active community volunteer. Holding a degree in historic preservation with a study of architecture, Romola is fluent in Urdu, Hindi and Gujrati.
As Vice President of Operations, Stacey wears many hats for the organization. She helps define processes, and implements infrastructure and systems to support the growth of MCEDC. She oversees vendors and manages internal functions from facility management and human resources to training, accounting and IT.
Stacey’s experience is extensive, previously serving for 8 years as the Director of Operations for the Medical Care for Children Partnership Foundation, a public/private partnership with the Fairfax County government. She also spent 8 years as Director of Operations for the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies where she managed key projects for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Much of her career has centered around organizations that improve the lives of children and families — and she views her work at MCEDC as another way to contribute to the strength and vitality of families and communities. Stacey holds a Master of Science degree in Not-for-Profit Management from UMUC and is a member of the Society for Nonprofits.
Joe Hurst is an Economic Development Specialist at MCEDC, supporting the County’s economic and business development mission. His focus includes assisting the attraction, retention, and expansion efforts in the Non-Profit and Defense industries, as well as supporting Federal and minority businesses engagement.
Originally a Chicagoan, Joe was raised on the city’s South Side by a village of caring family members and mentors. He graduated from one of the top high schools in Chicago, the University of Chicago Laboratory School High School, or Lab as its called, which opened a world of possibilities for him. After Lab, Joe graduated from Purdue University, studying in the fields of economics, political science, peace studies and global studies.
Professionally, Joe has oriented his career toward creating opportunity, particularly in under-represented and under-resourced communities. As a Department of Commerce appointee, he focused on supporting the Obama Administration’s economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurship agendas. This included traveling to communities across the country to highlight these efforts and Commerce’s Economic Development Administration investments in the community. After his time in the Administration, Joe worked as a disaster responder with the American Red Cross, eventually rising to Program Manager and supporting the Region’s external relations and partner management efforts.
Joe has spent time in the United States Army, volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician, and with the 100 Black Men of Maryland, and continues to volunteer with the American Red Cross. Community development and youth empowerment are important to Joe, and he continues to incorporate these priorities into his professional and volunteer career.
Manu supports the development and implementation of marketing strategies to advance the organization’s goals and objectives. She brings innovative approaches to campaign development and a wealth of experience in conceptualizing and executing multi-channel marketing campaigns. Having spent over a decade working with nonprofits and associations with international reach and presence, Manu’s expertise includes leading multicultural teams, creating compelling communication strategies, nurturing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and ensuring consistent messaging across various channels. She is also highly proficient in utilizing data-driven insights to measure campaign effectiveness and inform strategic decisions.
A lifelong learner, Manu holds an MBA degree, a Master of Science in Management with specialization in marketing, a Bachelor of Science in International Business and various certificates in Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence. She speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish and is an active member of the American Marketing Association and the Marketing AI Institute.
Michael Mitchell holds the position of Vice President, Marketing & Communications for MCEDC. In his role, Michael oversees a team of Marketing and Communications professionals and is responsible for activities related to developing and implementing marketing and communications strategies aligned with MCEDC’s strategic goals. Michael works with the senior leadership team to promote Montgomery County as an ideal location to start, grow or expand a business, and helps build awareness of the many resources and partnerships available to support businesses in Montgomery County.
Michael brings a wide range of experience to the position. He formerly served as Chief Communications Officer for the Government of the District of Columbia Media Division, D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, under the D.C. Mayor. He has held the position of Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Strategic Partnerships for TIME LIFE Inc., where he was instrumental in the launch of their Live Division generating $20 million in revenue in 5 years. Working for MOTOWN Records, Michael was Executive Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Media for the $300 million company. He has run a successful marketing and media consulting business where he collaborated with a wide range of companies and artists. Companies include the NFL, BET, CMT, MTV, Soul Train Television Show, the Recording Industry Association of America, Celebrity Cruise Line, and the Grammy Awards. Artists he’s worked with include Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Ringo Starr, Sting, Diana Ross, Queen Latifah, Boyz II Men, and Michael Jackson where he served as Tour Press Director for Jackson’s BAD World Tour.
A graduate of the Communications program at Ohio State University, Michael is a member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMYs) and was on the Music Cares and City of Hope Publicity Committees. In his career, Michael has been the recipient of four Telly Awards, The Marketing Excellence Award – PRAME (Public Relations and Marketing Excellence), Publicity Executive of the Year (BRE Magazine) and the Corporate Leadership Award (Regalettes Scholarship Foundation). He led a seminar in Jamaica on the American recording industry for the Jamaican Government and was a guest lecturer on publicity techniques at UCLA.
Prayas Neupane is an MCEDC Director of Economic Development, with a primary focus on the real estate ecosystem to attract projects to the county and support attraction and retention efforts. He is also the primary point of contact for site selectors. Prayas brings a wealth of experience in economic development, having recently served as the Director of Business Attraction and Expansion for the Washington, DC. Economic Partnership. In that capacity, he led efforts to attract new companies to the nation’s capital. He helped develop Business Retention & Expansion efforts geared towards strengthening the business ecosystem, advancing inclusive prosperity and fostering economic growth in the District.
Previously, Prayas was a Program Director for Enterprise Advisors, where he developed a socio-economic development business line to assist cities in taking an inclusive and equitable approach to economic growth. His experience includes work as a Neighborhood Business Manager for the City of Boston, Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, where he led the City’s efforts to support local, minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE), and build its capacity to pursue contracting opportunities. Prayas also led the City’s Food Truck program, providing one-on-one technical assistance for a wide diversity of businesses.
Prayas has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond, and continued his studies to obtain a Master of Arts at Brandeis University in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. He is an active member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
Raven Padgett is the Senior Manager in the Communications and Marketing department of MCEDC. In her role, she collaborates with her MCEDC colleagues to maximize communications efforts for the organization. She develops content that effectively promotes Montgomery County businesses including newsletters, press releases, social media posts, ad campaigns, and marketing collateral. She finds creative avenues to showcase Montgomery County as an excellent place to live, work, and play.
Raven has extensive experience in content development and management, strategically aligning the work to a wide range of external and internal audiences. She has previously served as lead writer, managing editor, and publications director for various organizations including Sodexo, Amtrak, and Howard University. Under her creative and managerial direction, several publications have been recognized with industry awards for excellence.
Throughout her career, Raven has collaborated closely with senior management and subject matter experts to produce a wide variety of customized content, while helping to create more effective ways of content delivery. Raven holds a bachelor’s degrees in English and a master’s degree in journalism. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, volunteering, watching tennis, and attending theatre and musical performances.
Patty Simonton is an MCEDC Strategic Initiatives Manager, focusing on projects that drive entrepreneurial activity in the county. Among these projects, Patty is spearheading the organization’s efforts to streamline the entrepreneurial journey for founders in the county through the development of an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub.
Prior to joining the MCEDC team, Patty was the director of the Be Green Business program at Bethesda Green. In this role, she guided the Innovation Lab to become a federally recognized entrepreneurship support program for founders building for-profit business models around innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle environmental and social challenges. Patty considers herself to be a conscious capitalist, and brings extensive experience working with startups, social entrepreneurs and impact investors, and specializes in program management and operations, strategic planning, mentorship and for-profit business development.
She is a long-time mentor and former community manager for the Mentor Capital Network and an Activator for the Coralus community, where she invests in women and non-binary entrepreneurs working on the world’s to-do list.
Patty earned her degree in International Business from Georgetown University and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. She has also earned certificates in Entrepreneurship Center Management from the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) and Impact Measurement and Management for Sustainable Development Goals from Duke University.
Sarah Trujillo is MCEDC’s Strategic Media & Communications Manager, coordinating social media content and strategy, support for content creation for digital marketing campaigns, website editing, newsletters and marketing integration. A highlight example of Sarah’s work is creating an interactive StoryMap with our research team. The StoryMap, a visualization of Montgomery County companies on the Inc. 5000 list, highlights the variety of businesses that call MoCo home. The project was the second most viewed page on our website for several weeks. In a multicultural community like Montgomery County, Sarah has contributed to expanding MCEDC’s outreach, creating social media campaigns in various languages including Spanish.
Previously, Sarah worked as the Digital Marketing Coordinator for the National Turkey Federation where she planned and managed digital campaigns, wrote social media content and calendar updates, planned events and did live social reporting. Sarah holds a Master’s in Public Policy & Management along with a Bachelor’s in Marketing.