Mary Jean Herron, CEO of Wilmax Advisory, has been elected president of Executive Alliance, a statewide organization promoting the advancement of women in decision-making positions and the placement of women on corporate boards. Herron previously held positions of president elect, treasurer and chair of the finance committee of the organization.
Herron’s experience includes working with public and private companies, startups, nonprofits and multinational organizations. In her current position, Herron focuses on executive coaching/leadership development, business growth, risk management, board governance and business transitions for her clients. She is also CEO of BayLake Solutions, a startup based in Texas.
Previously as senior finance officer and operations leader of Keswick Multi-Care, Herron confronted the challenges of growth, technology and the economy in the changing health care industry. In a transition from chair and treasurer of the board of directors to chief financial officer of the national nonprofit, Healthcare for the Homeless, Herron initiated a multimillion-dollar capital campaign and led a large-scale project to develop a new Baltimore clinic.
“Mary Jean is an influential business driver whose clarity of vision and decisive leadership has carried a wide variety of companies through rapid and continuous growth. She is known as a catalyst of change, turnaround and performance improvement,” said Executive Director of Executive Alliance Rebecca Snyder.
Herron has served on numerous boards and state commissions. In addition to Executive Alliance, she currently serves on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange and is a member of the board of directors of the CASH Campaign of Maryland and the Y of Central Maryland. Previous board experience includes Maryland SPCA, US Green Building Council of Maryland and Healthcare for the Homeless. Maryland statewide commissions include the Financial Advisory Committee of the Health Information Exchange (CRISP) and the Healthcare Commission Policy Board.
Her work has been recognized with awards that include Baltimore Business Journal’s Best in Finance: CFO Award, SmartCEO’s Executive Management Award and induction into The Maryland Daily Record’s Circle of Excellence as a three-time winner of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
Herron holds an MBA and a Master of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Science in speech pathology from Loyola University Maryland. She is also a graduate of Leadership Maryland.
Officers serving with Herron are President-elect Angie Barnett, Better Business Bureau of Greater Baltimore; Vice President-Partnerships Karen Evans, Whiting-Turner; Secretary Stephanie Baker, WAEPA Insurance; and Past President Lisa Hayes, PNC Wealth Management.
Executive Alliance is a statewide not-for-profit organization in Maryland composed of professional executive women. The organization initiates, supports and engages in activities to promote the advancement of women in professional and executive positions. Executive Alliance promotes the placement of women on corporate boards and educates the public on the benefits of having women in decision-making positions. Members serve as role models and mentors to women seeking to advance their careers.
