USM Names Susan F. Lawrence as Vice Chancellor for Government Relations

Baltimore, Md. (Nov. 6, 2023) — University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay A. Perman has appointed Susan F. Lawrence to the position of USM vice chancellor for government relations. Lawrence joins the USM from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), where she has served as director of government affairs and helped lead government relations efforts since 2019.

As vice chancellor for government relations, Lawrence will be the chief adviser to Chancellor Perman and the USM Board of Regents on governmental relations policies and strategies, on both the state and federal levels. In addition, she will chair USM's State Relations Council, comprising government relations officers from the system's 12 institutions.

Lawrence succeeds Patrick J. Hogan, who served USM in the position since Nov. 2015 and recently joined Cornerstone Government Affairs as principal. Her first day is Dec. 4.

“I’m so happy that Susan will join the USM leadership team,” said Chancellor Perman. “She brings an insider’s knowledge of the Maryland General Assembly to this role, as well as significant experience within the University System itself. That’s a powerful combination, and I know it will serve the System well. We look forward to working with her.”

“I’m honored to join the USM and lead the system’s government relations efforts,” Lawrence said. “I am pleased to bring connections from the local, state, and federal level that will lead to collaborations that advance the system’s mission.”

Lawrence brings nearly 30 years of experience working in Annapolis with the Maryland General Assembly and among all state agencies and departments.

She joined UMB in January 2019 after 24 years holding prominent positions in the Maryland Senate, including chief of staff to the Senate Finance Committee chair and as legislative assistant for the Budget & Taxation Committee. Lawrence’s years in the Senate also provided her the opportunity to work on a wide array of policy issues and establish numerous relationships in both the Senate and House, and with the Department of Legislative Services (DLS).

At UMB, Lawrence initially held the title of senior government affairs specialist before her appointment last July as UMB’s director of government affairs. She has been an advocate for governmental support of the university’s interests before the Maryland General Assembly and state agencies that advance the educational, research, clinical, and service mission of UMB in such areas as health care, higher education, law, economic development, and social services. She also worked with UMB faculty, students, and staff to support effective interactions with government officials and other partners to support the university’s mission.

During the past two legislative sessions, Lawrence chaired the USM’s State Relations administration and finance subcommittee, identifying legislative proposals that impact USM institutions and formulating positions in collaboration with the full State Relations Council to present before the legislature.

Lawrence earned her B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1985 and served as associate director of the Maryland Association of Counties before beginning her lengthy staff tenure in the Maryland Senate.

In announcing Hogan’s departure, Chancellor Perman saluted Hogan for a litany of successes, including the growth of USM’s annual operating appropriation from the state by nearly $1 billion—to $2.2 billion, and the timeless work he put in every session to craft and amend bills so that they best serve the USM’s mission and its constituents.

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The USM comprises 12 institutions: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; the University of Baltimore; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; the University of Maryland, College Park; the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; and the University of Maryland Global Campus. The USM also includes three regional centers—the Universities at Shady Grove, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, and the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland—at which USM universities offer upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses.

USM institutions and programs are among the nation's best in quality and value according to several national rankings. To learn more about the University System of Maryland, visit www.usmd.edu. To learn about the new USM Strategic Plan, “Vision 2030: From Excellence to Preeminence,” visit https://www.usmd.edu/vision2030/

Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu