Maryland Humanities Board Members Receive Statewide and Regional Honors
The Daily Record and Afro News Praise Residents of Laurel, Baltimore County and Baltimore City
(Baltimore, MD) – The Daily Record has named Dr. Kimberly R. Moffitt and Christian Pulley, who both sit on the Maryland Humanities Board of Directors, to its 2025 listing of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. Chanel Johnson, who serves as Maryland Humanities’ Interim Chair of the Board of Directors, made Afro News’ list of Who’s Who in Black Baltimore.
Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, Maryland’s Top 100 Women recognizes outstanding achievements by women through professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring. A panel of business and legal professionals, previous Maryland’s Top 100 Women, and a representative of The Daily Record reviewed the final applications and selected this year’s honorees who represent the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors.
“The 2025 Maryland’s Top 100 Women are leading companies, creating change, breaking barriers and charting new territory. They are leaders who make a difference in their communities and also mentor and inspire future leaders toward success,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record.
Kimberly R. Moffitt (she/her) has recently been appointed the Dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University. Currently, she serves as Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Before assuming this role, she was Director of the Language, Literacy, and Culture Doctoral Program and a professor of Communication/Media Studies—as well as affiliate Professor of Africana Studies—at UMBC. A media critic whose research focuses on mediated representations of marginalized groups as well as the politicized nature of Black hair and the body, Moffitt has published seve articles and book chapters. She is the founding parent of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys Charter School.
“I am honored to be recognized in this class of phenomenal women,” says Moffitt.” While it appears to be almost revolutionary to celebrate the incredible contributions made by one’s gender, I thank The Daily Record for doing just that for the last thirty years.”
Christian Pulley (she/her) is the City Administrator for the City of Laurel. She has received both the City of Laurel’s Kristie M. Mills Leadership Award and its Meritorious Service Award for Professional Employee. Pulley is a graduate of Leadership Maryland. She has served on the Maryland Municipal League’s Conference Planning Committee and International City/County Management Association Conference Evaluation Committee. Pulley has a certificate from The Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program from Harvard University. She received her Master of City and Regional Planning from Morgan State University.
“I am extremely grateful to be honored as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women,” Pulley says. “It’s a privilege to be recognized with other inspiring women who uplift our great state!”
Maryland’s Top 100 Women will be honored at a reception and awards celebration on May 5 at Towson University Arena. See the full 2025 list of Maryland’s Top 100 Women here.
Who’s Who in Black has made it their mission to “focus [on] the celebration and elevation of black culture, black achievement and black people. We recognized the deficit of mainstream media’s inclusion of the stories that truly reflect who we are as a people.” Powered by Real Times Media, Who’s Who in Black serves as a hub for African American professionals across multiple industries to network with and support each other.
Featured on their website, Real Times Media explains their purpose for this network is rooted in the knowledge “that we are stronger together, that our collective voice cannot be silenced, that our movements create ripples around the world. We pay homage to the sacrifices of our ancestors as we clear the path for the future for our descendants.”
Chanel Johnson (she/her) is the Executive Director for the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum and Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. In these roles, Johnson is dedicated to serving Maryland to amplify and support African American heritage initiatives, groups, and museums to gain further access to resources, partnerships, and reach new audiences and heights. She previously served as Executive Director for the Prince George’s African American Museum as well as the Education Director for the Creative Alliance in Baltimore. Johnson received a graduate degree in Arts Management from American University. She is a practicing visual artist and has a home studio with her husband, Eric Johnson, in Baltimore City.
“Being a lover of Black history, a lover of Baltimore and a great lover and admirer of the Afro Newspaper, I feel truly blessed and honored to receive this recognition,” says Johnson. “As an artist and museum director, I have the privilege of sharing Black history and culture through my work, therefore, to be recognized in this way is truly special and humbling.”
Lindsey Baker, CEO at Maryland Humanities, says: “I am deeply grateful to work in partnership with such outstanding board members at Maryland Humanities. I am thrilled to see their leadership, dedication, and impact celebrated on this stage–exactly where they belong,” Baker continues.
“Their work embodies the very best of what it means to lead with purpose and passion.”
About Maryland Humanities
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About The Daily Record
The Daily Record is a digital first, daily news media company focused on law, government and business at TheDailyRecord.com. The Daily Record publishes a print edition on weekdays in addition to more than 25 special products a year in a variety of industries including Power Lists. The Daily Record, with 137 years of editorial excellence, is part of BridgeTower Media, the authoritative voice for insights and marketing solutions across 40+ brands in five key sectors across the United States.