Interim President:
Thomas Squire was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. From an early age he has always had a love for serving people. He attended Coastal Carolina University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Communication with a minor in Journalism and holds a Master's Degree in Special Education from Howard University. An experienced mass media professional with more than 10 years of experience in the television and radio industries. Most recently working with the branding solutions department with the during the 2016 BET Awards. He has worked on Democratic campaigns as a staffer, most recently with Tom Hucker's successful County Council bid in 2014 and with the Honorable Herman Taylor in 2007 and 2008. He currently works for Montgomery County Public Schools and is the Executive Assistant of the Minority Business Economic Council. Additionally, Thomas is a 2017 fellow and the Recruitment and Selections Chair for NLC Maryland and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated where he mentors young men of color. Thomas is excited about community service and involvement and bridging the gap between services and access to communities in need. Oh and Brunch.
Thomas Squire was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. From an early age he has always had a love for serving people. He attended Coastal Carolina University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Communication with a minor in Journalism and holds a Master's Degree in Special Education from Howard University. An experienced mass media professional with more than 10 years of experience in the television and radio industries. Most recently working with the branding solutions department with the during the 2016 BET Awards. He has worked on Democratic campaigns as a staffer, most recently with Tom Hucker's successful County Council bid in 2014 and with the Honorable Herman Taylor in 2007 and 2008. He currently works for Montgomery County Public Schools and is the Executive Assistant of the Minority Business Economic Council. Additionally, Thomas is a 2017 fellow and the Recruitment and Selections Chair for NLC Maryland and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated where he mentors young men of color. Thomas is excited about community service and involvement and bridging the gap between services and access to communities in need. Oh and Brunch.
President Emeritus:
The Honorable Gareth E. Murray, M.Div., Ph.D., has over forty years combined experience in the fields of mental health, organization development, religion and public service. During his twenty plus years in higher education, he served within the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park; University of Southern California, where he was the first African American hired by the Counseling Center and The University of the District of Columbia.
Due to his expertise in human and organizational behavior, Dr. Murray has served on staff and as a consultant to a wide range of private, public and governmental agencies. Within the private sector, he served as Clinical Supervisor and Mid-Atlantic Region Clinical Accounts Manager for a national managed mental health and employee assistance provider. He then transitioned into the public sector as the Director of the Office of Stress Management for the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department. In November of 2002 Dr. Murray won the general election for District 20 and in January of 2003 became the first of two African American Delegates in history to represent Montgomery County in the Maryland General Assembly. In 2007 Dr. Murray was appointed Director of Legislative Affairs for the Maryland Higher
Education Commission and served in that position until January of 2013. He also served as President of the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County. He is now a government relations consultant in the private sector, a mental health private practitioner and an entrepreneur with ventures in telecommunications and real estate development through his company, Spirit Ventures, LLC.
In 1995, upon completion of seminary at Virginia Union University, he was called to serve as Assistant Pastor of The People’s Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland and in January of 2006 was appointed Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland where he continues to serve.
A native Baltimorean and firm believer in education, Dr. Murray has an earned Doctorate from Cornell University, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University. Son of the late John C. and Augusta M. Murray, he resides in Montgomery County, Maryland with his wife.
The Honorable Gareth E. Murray, M.Div., Ph.D., has over forty years combined experience in the fields of mental health, organization development, religion and public service. During his twenty plus years in higher education, he served within the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park; University of Southern California, where he was the first African American hired by the Counseling Center and The University of the District of Columbia.
Due to his expertise in human and organizational behavior, Dr. Murray has served on staff and as a consultant to a wide range of private, public and governmental agencies. Within the private sector, he served as Clinical Supervisor and Mid-Atlantic Region Clinical Accounts Manager for a national managed mental health and employee assistance provider. He then transitioned into the public sector as the Director of the Office of Stress Management for the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department. In November of 2002 Dr. Murray won the general election for District 20 and in January of 2003 became the first of two African American Delegates in history to represent Montgomery County in the Maryland General Assembly. In 2007 Dr. Murray was appointed Director of Legislative Affairs for the Maryland Higher
Education Commission and served in that position until January of 2013. He also served as President of the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County. He is now a government relations consultant in the private sector, a mental health private practitioner and an entrepreneur with ventures in telecommunications and real estate development through his company, Spirit Ventures, LLC.
In 1995, upon completion of seminary at Virginia Union University, he was called to serve as Assistant Pastor of The People’s Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland and in January of 2006 was appointed Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland where he continues to serve.
A native Baltimorean and firm believer in education, Dr. Murray has an earned Doctorate from Cornell University, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University. Son of the late John C. and Augusta M. Murray, he resides in Montgomery County, Maryland with his wife.
Honorary Chair:
The Honorable Herman Taylor is a recognized business leader with over 27 years executive experience and a strategic thinker by being one of Maryland’s leading authorities on socio-economic policies that promote the use of small, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses in government contracting. He currently serves as the President of the Minority Business Economic Council, Inc. He is the former President & CEO of Deskmate Office Products, Inc. a Washington, DC based office products company he founded in 1989. In 2001, Deskmate Office Products, Inc. was listed as one of the largest minority owned office products distributors in the Washington metropolitan area. In 1995, he was named one of the 50 Leaders of Tomorrow in the golden anniversary issue of Ebony magazine. He has served several financial institutions in advisory capacities such as Capital Bank and FCNB Bank. In 2005 he served as a member of the Task Force on Lending Equity within Financial Institutions Providing State Depository Services. Adventist Healthcare Board of Directors
Mr. Taylor's community service has included involvement with the Rainbow/Push Coalition's Wall Street Project, the National Coalition of Minority Businesses, Inc., the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, the African-American History and Culture, Washington Adventist Hospital Foundation, The Olney Theatre, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, and The ARC (formerly Association for Retarded Citizens).
A former state Delegate who represented Montgomery County’s 14th Legislative District, Mr. Taylor was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He served on the House Economic Matters Committee and was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Unemployment Insurance. Was also the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Unemployment Insurance Oversight, and served on the Banking, Economic Development, Science & Technology Subcommittee, and was a member of the Business Regulation Subcommittee and the Public Utilities Subcommittee.
In 2003 he served as the Historian of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. From 2006–2008, he was the Second Vice Chair of that Caucus and was Chairman of the Economic Development Committee and Co-Chair of the Legislative Review Committee. He was also a member of the Maryland Veterans Caucus and the Maryland Democratic Business Caucus. He was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation. In 2015, Mr. Taylor was appointed by the Montgomery County Council to Chair a Task Force that was charged with making recommendations to reform Montgomery County’s procurement programs that pertain to minority business utilization.
Mr. Taylor has received several prominent awards during his distinguished career. In 2001, he was honored to receive The Washington Metropolitan Top Forty under 40 Award. The Maryland State Department of Education presented him with the 2003 Award of Excellence in Education; 2004 Legislator of the Month by the Center for Policy Alternatives for his work on the Living Wage bill; 2006, was given the Clean Energy Partnership Award; 2008, The Bethune-DuBois Institute Award; 2009, The Arc of Montgomery County Community Builder Award; 2008, Public Service Award by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for his work on securing funding for the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial; 2008, Who’s Who Among African Americans; 2008,Legislator of the Year by the Washington DC Building and Construction Trades Council; 2010 was presented the Defender of Democracy Award at a Congressional Leadership Luncheon and in 2012 he was presented The Business Award during the NAACP (Maryland) 72nd Annual Convention.
The Honorable Herman Taylor is a recognized business leader with over 27 years executive experience and a strategic thinker by being one of Maryland’s leading authorities on socio-economic policies that promote the use of small, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses in government contracting. He currently serves as the President of the Minority Business Economic Council, Inc. He is the former President & CEO of Deskmate Office Products, Inc. a Washington, DC based office products company he founded in 1989. In 2001, Deskmate Office Products, Inc. was listed as one of the largest minority owned office products distributors in the Washington metropolitan area. In 1995, he was named one of the 50 Leaders of Tomorrow in the golden anniversary issue of Ebony magazine. He has served several financial institutions in advisory capacities such as Capital Bank and FCNB Bank. In 2005 he served as a member of the Task Force on Lending Equity within Financial Institutions Providing State Depository Services. Adventist Healthcare Board of Directors
Mr. Taylor's community service has included involvement with the Rainbow/Push Coalition's Wall Street Project, the National Coalition of Minority Businesses, Inc., the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum, the African-American History and Culture, Washington Adventist Hospital Foundation, The Olney Theatre, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, and The ARC (formerly Association for Retarded Citizens).
A former state Delegate who represented Montgomery County’s 14th Legislative District, Mr. Taylor was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He served on the House Economic Matters Committee and was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Unemployment Insurance. Was also the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Unemployment Insurance Oversight, and served on the Banking, Economic Development, Science & Technology Subcommittee, and was a member of the Business Regulation Subcommittee and the Public Utilities Subcommittee.
In 2003 he served as the Historian of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. From 2006–2008, he was the Second Vice Chair of that Caucus and was Chairman of the Economic Development Committee and Co-Chair of the Legislative Review Committee. He was also a member of the Maryland Veterans Caucus and the Maryland Democratic Business Caucus. He was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation. In 2015, Mr. Taylor was appointed by the Montgomery County Council to Chair a Task Force that was charged with making recommendations to reform Montgomery County’s procurement programs that pertain to minority business utilization.
Mr. Taylor has received several prominent awards during his distinguished career. In 2001, he was honored to receive The Washington Metropolitan Top Forty under 40 Award. The Maryland State Department of Education presented him with the 2003 Award of Excellence in Education; 2004 Legislator of the Month by the Center for Policy Alternatives for his work on the Living Wage bill; 2006, was given the Clean Energy Partnership Award; 2008, The Bethune-DuBois Institute Award; 2009, The Arc of Montgomery County Community Builder Award; 2008, Public Service Award by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for his work on securing funding for the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial; 2008, Who’s Who Among African Americans; 2008,Legislator of the Year by the Washington DC Building and Construction Trades Council; 2010 was presented the Defender of Democracy Award at a Congressional Leadership Luncheon and in 2012 he was presented The Business Award during the NAACP (Maryland) 72nd Annual Convention.
Advisory Board Members:
Ms. Hillary Cyrus
Ms. Lisa Kendrick Fox
Mr. C. Eugene Harvey
Dr. Duane J. Taylor
Ms. Cheryl Townsend
Ms. Brenita Young
Ms. Hillary Cyrus
Ms. Lisa Kendrick Fox
Mr. C. Eugene Harvey
Dr. Duane J. Taylor
Ms. Cheryl Townsend
Ms. Brenita Young
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"Patriotism is love of country. But you can't love your country without loving your countrymen and country women. We don't always have to agree, but we must empower each other, we must find the common ground, we must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good."
– Senator Cory Booker |
Interim President Thomas Squire & Senator Cory Booker
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Gareth Murray and Herman Taylor pictured with Council member Craig Rice and other MBE leaders at the Annual Minority Business Legislative Breakfast.
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