The Maryland New Directions Board of Directors recently elected a new president–and he just happens to have a unique family connection to our organization’s history. Ben Danner is Deputy General Counsel & Chief M&A Counsel at McCormick & Company. He is the grandson of Mandy Goetze, who founded Maryland New Directions (originally known as Directions for Women) in 1973.
We recently spoke to Ben about continuing his family’s legacy and his vision for his tenure at our board’s helm.
What is it like to follow in your family’s footsteps by staying involved with MND?
MND is a great organization that has been around for a very long time now, and our family is very proud of it. My family has been committed to Baltimore for ages. My grandparents owned the Goetze Meat Packing Co. until it closed in the 70s, and they both remained very active in the community. My grandmother has been especially committed to women in the workplace – I think she was inspired by the increasing number of divorcees and widows entering the workforce after World War II. She is a founding member of the National Alliance of Professional and Executive Women’s Networks, as well as the founder of Maryland New Directions, which was originally focused on helping housewives reenter the workforce. Even though MND is now focused on completely different skill sets, it still makes sense to have our family represented on the board. I hope my grandmother is proud that I’m taking over some piece of the legacy.
What are your goals for your time as president of the board?
My goal is to be a responsible steward of the organization. What’s really compelling about the board is how seriously it takes its role and the strategic vision for the organization. The pandemic has shown everyone where they are strong and where they have room to develop. The organization stands on a strong foundation, and now it’s about putting the infrastructure in place to grow responsibly – increasing our donor base and getting more people through the door. I’ve learned a lot from the previous board chairs and watching Grace Lee lead this organization so skillfully – and I hope I can help us hit all the right points and make a positive impact.
What do you enjoy most about being involved with MND?
I have lived in D.C. for years now, and there is no shortage of organizations here that I could choose to work with. But Baltimore is a unique community that has gone through a lot more than other cities, and I feel it has a greater need than other cities. This organization is fundamentally about second chances and helping people get their foot in the door. By focusing on people who need and want jobs and helping them find their way to long-term, medium- to high-paying careers, MND is helping people change their lives through employment – which then carries through to the next generation. And that’s incredibly compelling to me.
What do you see next for MND?
This is an unprecedented time for employment – I think we need to focus on awareness and telling more people in the community that we’re here. MND has programs set up to help with job transitions of any kind – to help people gain new skills, make more money than they may be making now, and find a career path that will set them up for the future. We have great programs, a passionate group of staff, board members, and volunteers, and a lot of community buy-in – we just need to focus on reaching more people. This is our time to shine.
