Andrew B. Frank, Special Advisor to the President on Economic Development, The Johns Hopkins University

The position was created to work with internal and external partners to develop and implement strategies to strengthen Baltimore City and the neighborhoods around the student campuses. His priorities are the Homewood Community Partners Initiative, which encompasses ten neighborhoods around the Homewood campus, and the East Baltimore Development Initiative, a $1.8 billion neighborhood transformation involving new housing, lab space, community school, retail, central park, and hotel. Frank set up the governance structure, negotiated key agreements with the school district and operator, and serves as owner’s representative for the construction of the Henderson-Hopkins school, the first new East Baltimore school in 25 years.

Before joining Johns Hopkins, Frank worked with the City of Baltimore for 15 years, with three years as First Deputy Mayor for neighborhood and economic development. As First Deputy Mayor, Frank’s responsibilities included oversight of a wide range of city departments and offices, including the Department of Housing and Community Development; the Office of Employment Development; the Planning, Public Works and Transportation departments; and the Baltimore Development Corporation.

Before moving to City Hall, he was executive vice president of the BDC for six years, involved in attracting and retaining businesses, redevelopment, commercial revitalization, and urban design and planning, among other issues. He also served as Inner Harbor coordinator, supervising implementation of the 2003 Inner Harbor Master Plan, chairing the intra-agency Inner Harbor Task Force, and managing the $5 million renovation of the West Shore Park.

Frank has a bachelor’s degree in urban economics from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in city planning from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.