The MarylandSaves board of directors today announced that Glenn Simmons has become the program’s official executive director and chief executive officer after serving as acting executive director.
Simmons recently oversaw the launch of MarylandSaves, a new retirement savings program which helps residents save for retirement easily and at no additional expense through their employers. Since the program’s launch in the fall of 2022, more than 1,300 businesses have signed up more than 1,600 employees to begin saving for a more secure financial future.
“Thousands of Marylanders will be more secure because Glenn Simmons left the comfort of private industry to join MarylandSaves,” said Board Chair Joshua Gotbaum. “Now that he’s led the launch of our program, we’ll be able to help hundreds of thousands more.”
Simmons brings more than 30 years of leadership, government and non-profit marketing and project management experience to MarylandSaves.
Before his appointment to executive director and CEO, Simmons served as acting executive director, deputy director, and director of marketing. Prior to the program, Simmons worked for more than a decade at Johns Hopkins University, including seven years leading a team of designers and writers as the director of an in-house strategic marketing and creative services agency.
In 2022, Simmons was one of only 52 executives selected to participate in Leadership Maryland’s professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders and building productive networks.
Reacting to his appointment, Simmons said, “When we get the chance to talk with business owners in Maryland and they describe how excited they are that they get to do this for their team members it inspires us to ensure all business owners learn about this program.
“Many of the owners that joined us early told us they have been looking for a way to provide a retirement savings benefit for their staff, but they could not afford what was available, now they can,” Simmons said.
Simmons has also held senior positions at several technology-driven Baltimore advertising agencies and printing and production companies. He graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in journalism. He raised his family in Maryland and lives with his wife in Lutherville.
About MarylandSaves
An estimated 1 million Marylanders work full-time, but at businesses that don’t have the capacity to offer traditional retirement plans. MarylandSaves was created by the State of Maryland to help those businesses: it allows them, at no cost, to sign their employees up for no-hassle automatic savings. The employee’s WorkLife Savings Accounts are owned by the individual saver, with funds to cover both emergencies today and retirement in the future. They offer benefits that go beyond most current retirement plans. For more information, visit www.MarylandSaves.com.
