In 1974, R. Michael Gill, Sr. (Mike) joined IBM as a rookie sales representative. Forty years later, he became the first Secretary of Commerce in the history of Maryland, appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to completely transform the state’s business environment.

 

What happened between those two events conveys the message of drive, determination, and tremendous business acumen.

 

Mike’s seven year career in IBM’s Office Products and General Systems Division included roles as an account manager, regional specialist, and sales school instructor. He left the tech company to join multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young as Regional Director of Data Systems.

 

For the next phase of his career, Mike took the entrepreneurial route and proved to be extremely adept at developing and nurturing successful enterprises. In 1984, Mike founded AMERICOM, a technical services company in the wireless industry. By 2000, AMERICOM had grown to more than 1,200 team members before it was acquired by Solectron (NYSE). In 2000, Mike co-founded wireless communications company First Page USA Inc., which was acquired by Metrocall in 2006—a move that doubled Metrocall’s communications network. In 2007, Mike was part of the group that acquired Curtis Engine, a leading Mid-Atlantic distributor of power generator sets, engines, and switch gear.

 

In 2007, Mike joined Evergreen Advisors, a Mid-Atlantic middle-market investment bank firm that has completed over 100 M&A and capital raising transactions, totaling over $5 billion in value for publicly traded and privately held companies. He left Evergreen in 2014 to join the Hogan Administration, adding a chapter of public-private sector success to his storied career.

 

Working closely with Governor Hogan, Mike led Team Commerce and created a “culture of YES” for business. His team’s efforts were enormously successful as Maryland soon excelled in every key economic category. After four incredible years serving the state of Maryland, Mike returned to Evergreen as chairman and principal.

 

Mike has dedicated his time and support to higher education. From 1995-2002, he chaired the Towson University Board of Visitors. From 2004-2009, he served on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and chaired the audit committee that oversaw a $3.5 billion operating budget, 150,000 students, and 30,000 employees. In 2016, Mike returned to Clemson University, which he attended on a baseball scholarship, to serve as a member of the President’s Advisory Board. A 1974 graduate of Towson University, Mike received an honorary degree from Towson in 1996 and the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005.

 

In addition to his higher education roles, Mike serves as Chairman of the St. Joseph’s Medical Center Board of Directors, which is part of the University of Maryland Medical System. He formerly served on the Board of Directors for Bay National Bank. In 2016 and 2017, he was named a “Most Influential Marylander” by The Daily Record. In 2017, he received the Baltimore County “Good Scout” award. Mike was recently named as a 2021 inductee in The Baltimore Sun’s Business and Civic Hall of Fame.

 

Mike and his wife, Mary, have been married for 46 years. The couple has three grown children—Jennifer, Allie and Mike, Jr.—and eight grandchildren. During his free time, Mike enjoys golfing, reading, exercising, and spending time with Mary