What if the most impactful work shaping your daily life never makes the news? We sit down with Mike Kelly, executive director of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), to reveal how a small regional team coordinates transportation, housing, workforce, and climate resilience across Central Maryland—and why that matters for every commute, job search, and neighborhood.

Mike breaks down the inner workings of the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and how it helps local governments program their share of federal transportation dollars. We trace the ripple effects from bike infrastructure to bus service, highways, and freight, then zoom out to the council’s broader portfolio: fair housing plans and regional vouchers, a 30-year building permits database used to track development, and a collaborative purchasing program that has saved jurisdictions more than $340 million on electricity while opening doors to renewable energy. We also get into climate resilience, air quality, and reservoir health—areas where regional coordination turns siloed efforts into measurable progress.

The conversation shifts to Chesapeake Connect, the council’s immersive learning trip that brings together county executives, agency heads, CEOs, foundations, and community leaders to study another city’s wins and missteps. From Nashville’s growth pains to Philadelphia’s neighborhood rebuilding, Mike shares candid lessons that help our region avoid familiar pitfalls. We also spotlight the Chesapeake Leadership Academy, a new cohort for rising local government professionals who learn directly from CAOs, police chiefs, planners, and communicators about leading through complexity.

Threading it all together is BMC’s quiet superpower: nonpartisan convening. In a region where large counties often have the scale to go it alone, the council creates the space to align on issues that cross borders—public transportation, affordable housing, workforce pipelines, clean energy, and climate resilience. It’s practical, data-driven, and built on relationships that continue long after the bus rides end.

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