Maryland Stadium Authority picks DC mayor’s adviser as executive director

After serving for more than a decade in Washington government, Lindsey V. Parker will be the next executive director of the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Parker follows Michael Frenz, who had been the director since 2008. Frenz, 69, retired this year.

“Lindsey Parker is the right leader to grow Maryland’s sports economy and deliver real opportunities for students, workers, businesses, and communities across the state,” Craig Thompson, the authority’s Chair, said in a statement.

The authority was established by the state government in the 1980s to attract an NFL team back to Baltimore after the Colts left town. But its scope has grown significantly.

In addition to owning and maintaining M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Pimlico Race Course, the authority is often seen as the state’s construction management arm. It is regularly tasked with building schools and demolishing vacant houses.

Parker is currently an adviser to Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and previously served as her chief of staff. She’ll begin her new role, reporting to the authority’s board, in September. In the meantime, longtime board member Manervia Riddick has served as interim director.

“The Maryland Stadium Authority is a major player in the economic engine of the state, and I couldn’t be more excited to join this team and work with this Board to continue a 40-year win streak by delivering more opportunities for residents, visitors and businesses alike,” Parker said in a statement.

It’s been a period of change for the authority. In addition to Frenz’s retirement, longtime executive Terry Hasseltine, who spearheaded the state’s sports tourism arm, exited his position in December without explanation.

M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park and Pimlico are all undergoing varying levels of renovation and an authority news release Friday called it a “critical and exciting moment.”

It also teased potential development around Oriole Park, something that the state and baseball club have discussed before.

“The complex surrounding Camden Yards — one of the most celebrated venues in American sports — hold some of the most exciting development potential in the country," the news release stated.