Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will headline The Baltimore Banner’s new annual event, iMPACT Maryland, which will bring together state and local leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to discuss major policies and issues affecting the region.

Buttigieg will join a high-profile lineup of prominent state and local leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore, who will sit down with author and former CNN journalist Brian Stelter for a one-on-one conversation.

iMPACT Maryland, presented by Whiting-Turner, will be held Oct. 10 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. As many as 1,000 people are expected to attend the daylong event, for which tickets are now on sale.

“Since The Baltimore Banner launched as a nonprofit, independent local news organization, our mission has been to become an integral and vital part of the communities that we serve across Maryland as we help strengthen, unite and inspire our communities,” said Kimi Yoshino, editor in chief of The Banner.

“As part of that ongoing commitment, we are excited to announce what promises to be one of the most impactful events for the future of our region in fostering meaningful dialogue for our attendees, with a shared goal of moving our state forward into a more promising future.”

Panel discussions will be moderated by Banner journalists and feature thought leaders on topics such as economic development, education, biotech health care, public safety, sports, transportation and entertainment. The event will also feature Ted Talk-style “big idea” sessions and interactive Q&As.

In addition to Moore and Buttigieg, confirmed speakers include Tim Regan, president and CEO of Whiting-Turner, the contracting company; Calvin G. Butler, president and CEO of Exelon Corp.; Carim Khouzami, president and CEO of BGE, a subsidiary of Exelon; Kevin Plank, Under Armour founder and chairman; Kevin W. Sowers, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine; and David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University.

More than three dozen local figures have committed to serving on panels, including Kurt Schmoke, the president of the University of Baltimore; Baltimore City Schools CEO Sonja Santelises; P. David Bramble, managing partner and co-founder, MCB Real Estate; and author, journalist and TV writer-producer David Simon.

Various groups and companies are partnering with The Banner on the event, including Whiting-Turner, CFG Bank, LifeBridge Health, United Way of Central Maryland, UnitedHealthcare, T. Rowe Price, BGE, an Exelon company; the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; the University of Baltimore School of Public Affairs; Towson University, TEDCO and the Maryland State Bar Association.

The Banner is a nonprofit local news site that went live in June 2022. It relies on paid subscriptions, donations and advertising. Other nonprofit news sites have sponsored similar events. For example, The Texas Tribune holds a fall festival in downtown Austin that it calls a “multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics and public policy, featuring conversations with the leaders and influencers making the news.”

Those interested in attending iMPACT Maryland may purchase limited VIP tickets for $300, with general admission tickets on sale for $225

For more information on the event, visit: https://impactmaryland.thebaltimorebanner.com/.

david.lance@thebaltimorebanner.com