Tisha Edwards

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Maryland Bankers Association

Tisha S. Edwards, MSW, J.D., serves as president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Bankers Association, a role she assumed in April 2025.

Edwards is a mission-driven executive with over 20 years of experience bridging public service and private-sector innovation to expand access, equity, and opportunity for Marylanders. In her current position, she leads advocacy for the industry, strengthens bank-community partnerships and grows the association’s visibility and impact across the state.

Her career spans leadership roles in government, education, and the private sector, including interim CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, chief of staff to the Mayor of Baltimore, president of BridgeEdu, and founding executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success. She also served as chief of staff in Gov. Wes Moore’s gubernatorial campaign and later as Maryland’s secretary of appointments, filling in more than 600 state leadership roles to advance representation and inclusion.

As MBA president and CEO, Edwards also serves as executive vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association, unifying the voices of Maryland, Virginia and D.C. banking communities. She is actively engaged in the nonprofit and higher education sectors, serving on the boards of United Way of Central Maryland, the University of Maryland, Baltimore Foundation Board of Trustees and the University of Maryland School of Social Work Board of Advisors.

Edwards emphasizes that the most important lesson she’s learned as a Maryland leader is the moral imperative for women to embrace authenticity. “When I walked in with confidence, transparency and the willingness to be my most authentic self, which requires vulnerability — that’s when the power of my leadership happens,” she said.

Throughout her career, Edwards has confronted gender bias and underestimation. She overcomes these challenges by centering her leadership around outcomes and impact, using data as a powerful resource to transcend workplace bias and demonstrate her effectiveness as a leader.

Honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by information provided by the honorees and other resources. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.