Small Business Spotlight
Jennifer Bodensiek – President & CEO
Jennifer's commitment to inspire young people to work hard and succeed dates back to her days in the classroom as a high school career and technology education teacher. Her nearly 20-year career with Junior Achievement includes executive roles in fundraising and program development with JA's Greater Washington affiliate and JA USA, as well as its parent organization, JA Worldwide. Jennifer has served as JA of Central Maryland's president and CEO since 2009. In this role, she works hand-in-hand with the organization's board of directors, management team, and the business and education community to fuel the economic and workforce pipelines in Maryland—starting with our youth. Jennifer has twice been nationally nominated by her peers for the JA Hook Award, the organization's highest honor for market-area presidents and teams.
Beyond Junior Achievement, Jennifer has held roles at The Johns Hopkins University as a major gift officer and Bank of America, rising to assistant vice president. She earned her B.S. in marketing education from Virginia Tech. Jennifer serves on a number of national and local education and business advisory boards. She has also been named a Maryland's Top 100 Women honoree from The Daily Record (2020 and 2012), as well as a Brava award winner from SmartCEO. In 2015, Jennifer was inducted into the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.
Tom Sadowski - Chair of Board of Directors
With more than 30-years in the economic development profession, Tom has worked with partners in industry, higher education and at every level of government. His career projects exceed $10 billion in value and 50,000 new jobs; these include the 2005 BRAC win for Aberdeen Proving Ground and numerous corporate headquarters, federal research laboratories, military facilities and industrial projects for major private sector and government clients.
Tom has held leadership positions at the local, regional, and state level. His work with the University System of Maryland (USM) is focused on fueling new venture creation and tech commercialization; growing R&D partnerships; developing internship, certification and upskilling programs; and launching the USM’s new $10 million new venture Maryland Momentum Fund. His efforts span all industry sectors, to include aerospace, autonomous systems, cyber/data sciences, quantum computing, robotics, bio-health, energy, environmental sustainability, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and education-technology.
Prior to the USM, he served as President & CEO of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore.
He is a lifelong resident of Maryland, a proud husband, father and graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He enjoys coaching and is active on many boards related to finance, economic and workforce development, technology, entrepreneurship, education, public policy, and health.
Recent awards:
- 2016 UMBC Alumni of the Year (Distinguished Service)
- 2013 & 2015 Daily Record’s Maryland’s Most Admired CEO
- 2014 Baltimore Museum of Industry’s William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year