Maria Harris Tildon named VP for state and local affairs at Johns Hopkins

Maria Harris Tildon, a Baltimore native and highly respected local and national public policy and government affairs expert, has been appointed as the new vice president for state and local affairs for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Tildon will lead the Office of State and Local Affairs, spearheading Johns Hopkins' legislative and regulatory agenda in Maryland, throughout the Washington, D.C. region, and in Florida. She will lead efforts to build and strengthen the institution's relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, policymakers, business and community leaders, and neighborhood residents, whose engagement and support are vital to the Johns Hopkins mission.

Tildon brings with her a breadth and depth of experience working with state and local government leaders in this region, as well as expertise in health care policy. Since 2006, she has held progressively senior leadership roles with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest health insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Her appointment was announced today in an email from Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University; Paul Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine; and Kevin Sowers, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Her first day at Johns Hopkins will be April 1.

"Thanks to her unique blend of experience in navigating complex policy and legislative issues and her demonstrated strategic leadership, Maria emerged from our search as the leading candidate to fill this important position," they wrote. "Her stellar reputation as a policy and communications leader nationally and throughout the region will be critically important as we pursue state, local, and community policy priorities in service of our mission of education, research, service, and patient care."

Most recently, Tildon served as executive vice president, public policy and government affairs at CareFirst, which involved leading all local, state, and federal public policy, legislative, and regulatory affairs. In her time at CareFirst, she has also taken responsibility for managing marketing, internal and external communications, product development and lifecycle, and community investments and volunteering.

"I'm excited to join this internationally renowned institution, which is doing important and transformational work around the world," Tildon said. "As a native Baltimorean, I am particularly proud of Johns Hopkins commitment to Baltimore's development in the areas of education, health care, and economic development. I look forward to utilizing my professIonal experiences to advance the Johns Hopkins' mission and its impact on the City of Baltimore, the region, and beyond."

Prior to joining CareFirst, Tildon was senior vice president for external affairs for the Century Council, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing policies and programs to address underage drinking and drunk driving. Her previous professional experience includes serving in several senior roles in the Clinton administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as practicing law at Venable, LLP. Tildon also is an acknowledged civic leader and serves on a number of boards of local companies, schools, and charitable organizations.

Tildon will succeed Jeanne Hitchcock, who has served as interim vice president since longtime GCA Vice President Tom Lewis retired in June of last year. Hitchcock has helped lead Johns Hopkins' local response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including community testing, vaccination, and education programs.