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“All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.” –Robert Kennedy

M.J. “Jay” Brodie is President of the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation responsible for Baltimore’s city-wide economic development. Its mission is business retention, expansion and attraction. A challenging mission at any time, but perplexing and difficult in this recession – the worst in recent history.

Under Mr. Brodie’s leadership, beginning January, 1996, BDC’s efforts have retained or attracted more than 30,000 jobs, resulting in a capital investment of well over 1.5 billion dollars. Investments of this size create opportunities on a grand scale and require BDC to coordinate collaborations between city government, citizens and the business community.

BDC’s past and future achievements demand all collaborative partners trust BDC from the top down. With billions of dollars, and millions of jobs at stake, character and proven principles will play a larger role in rebuilding our economy.

Jay Brodie: “Reflecting on the last year or so, we’ve seen egregious decisions which have created terrible consequences for all sorts of people caught up in the wave of the recession. It’s easy to say ‘don’t be greedy, don’t be arrogant, don’t be irresponsible,’ but without core principles, we are adrift.

“None of us is perfect … we don’t have to be the smartest person on the face of the earth, but we can be honest and have integrity, and treat people fairly. I don’t view these as religious principles necessarily, just principles that people and organizations like BDC should live by.”

In the aftermath of global market change, BDC and other like-missioned organizations must rebuild by rethinking the financing of urban development projects. With banks still reluctant to lend, small to mid-size developers have put projects on indefinite hold, stifling the flow of job creation, further weakening Baltimore’s already fragile tax base.

These are not tranquil times, however Jay Brodie says, “we must persevere,” and continue in a course of action, even in the face of difficulty. In this context, the course of action is not focused strictly on the fulfillment of every initiative, but rather to persevere in achieving BDC’s larger mission: to facilitate economic development citywide.

“A good business leader must be willing to take action, and that action is not solely focused on quarterly reports, but rather focused ahead to the horizon. What can we do in the next two years or next five or ten?”

There is light on the horizon… thankfully from the east. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA] will send federal dollars flowing to Baltimore’s main streets – funding numerous BDC projects, such as The Community Development Block Grant Recovery Act Program, and a 77-room hotel on the top floors of the Amtrak-owned Penn Station. The goal of the initiatives is to spur job growth, make neighborhoods more visually attractive, stimulate business recruitment and retention, and lower vacancy rates.

Federal dollars will surely aid in the nation’s recovery, but the marketplace may not ever be as bullish as it once was. That said, the investment dollars we have must be carefully managed to benefit as many Baltimoreans as possible. The rebuild has begun, but like any infrastructure designed for the public, principled leadership and civic involvement must prevail. Otherwise sustained growth will not be accomplished.

“When people ask me what I am – I say I am an Architect. Architects are generally optimistic people. They think they can improve the world.”