EXCEL Program

In partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and the County Executives America, Rushern L. Baker III launched a national leadership institute for local government chief executives.

University of Maryland EXCEL Program Video

The Program heading embellishment

With federal and state governments mired in gridlock and partisanship and pushing more and more responsibilities to local governments, the role and responsibilities of county and municipal level leaders are rapidly increasing in significance in American life. In addition to providing new leaders with a forum for peer to peer discussion and support, the program’s core mission will be to teach new elected chief executives how to transition into effective leaders at the local government executive level. Programming will be aimed at equipping local government executives with both practical insight into the tools they need to be successful public servants from successful local government elected officials and managers.

Designed as a nine-month program, each cohort consists of a non-partisan mixture of over a dozen new and experienced executives from jurisdictions across the United States, including Ohio, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Texas and Tennessee. 

The program will include robust policy study and discussion around significant and timely issues facing local government leaders today, led by policy experts at the University of Maryland, School of Public Policy.