Governor Swears In Kenneth C. Holt as Maryland’s Housing Secretary

DHCD is ‘Economic Wheel Horse’ for Maryland, Says Holt

CROWNSVILLE, MD – Kenneth C. Holt, Jr., the former Baltimore County delegate who spent 25 years as an investment executive, was sworn in today as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Governor Lawrence Hogan administered the oath of office in the State House.

“I am pleased that Governor Hogan asked me to serve as secretary of an agency that plays such an important role in the economic health of our state and the well-being of its citizens,” said Holt. “This agency is something of an economic wheel horse, providing tremendous benefit to the State of Maryland. Through our mortgage lending program, affordable rental housing financing and neighborhood revitalization programs, we provide very worthwhile assistance to a large part of the population.”

As a past member of the Baltimore County Master Plan Advisory Committee and a past president of his neighborhood civic association, Holt gained on-the-ground experience with neighborhood revitalization, development and housing issues. His experience on the Baltimore County Human Relations Commission gives him a strong foundation in issues of fairness and housing equity. And his career at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Baltimore, where he served as branch manager, senior portfolio manager and senior vice president, gives him a thorough understanding of bond and financing markets and how they work.

Holt comes to DHCD after serving as chairman and chief financial officer of Traitify, a software development firm that was recognized by Maryland’s Technology Development Corp. as the “most innovative” start-up company of 2013. As a member of the Maryland General Assembly, Holt served on the House Appropriations Committee and on the subcommittee on education and economic development.

Holt received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park. He and his wife Mary operate a family farm in Kingsville, Md. The couple has two children.

###