BALTIMORE – The Daily Record has named Notre Dame of Maryland University’s president, Dr. Marylou Yam, one of Maryland’s 2024 Most Admired CEOs.
The publication’s Most Admired CEOs list honors talented business CEOs, higher education leaders and nonprofit executive directors throughout Maryland whose leadership and vision are admired by those around them. A panel of judges selects these winners based on professional accomplishments, community service and the letters of reference submitted by co-workers, board members and community leaders showing the CEO’s leadership and vision.
“The 2024 Most Admired CEOs demonstrate impressive resumes and lead their companies to success, making a positive impact on the lives of others. They are trendsetters who empower those who work with them in a professional setting and on community boards,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record. “They are good listeners who are also committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders. The Daily Record congratulates this year’s honorees.”
Dr. Yam was appointed as Notre Dame’s 14th president in 2014. During her tenure, the University has achieved historic fundraising goals, set several records for new student enrollment, and seen unprecedented growth in academic programs.
The Go Beyond campaign, which officially closed this summer, raised over $52.6 million, the highest total in Notre Dame’s history, after surpassing both the original goal of $45 million and an updated target of $50 million. Highlights of the campaign included a $9 million renovation of the Knott Science and Innovation Center, over $14 million raised in support of endowed student scholarships, installation of a new turf field for athletics, and over $3.7 million supporting faculty scholarship and research.
Under Dr. Yam’s leadership, Notre Dame launched the State’s first bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Art Therapy, the first Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program at a private university and only the second program in the State, and the State’s first Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at a private university, serving the healthcare needs of Marylanders and fulfilling workforce demand. In fall 2023, Notre Dame announced the decision to acquire the Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH), merging graduate-level integrative health and wellness programs into the University to form a new School of Integrative Health. That move, expected to be finalized in late 2024 or early 2025, will make Notre Dame the nation’s first comprehensive university with a school dedicated to integrative health.
Dr. Yam has additionally demonstrated innovation and extensive leadership service to the State and community, and she has served as a mentor to aspiring executive leaders. A strong champion of greater access to higher education, Dr. Yam has been a vocal advocate in fundraising for student scholarships and speaking with Maryland legislators on expanding higher education access. She has also mentored several colleagues, including those in higher education, through executive leadership programs with both the University of Maryland Leadership Program and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) mentorship program.
At Notre Dame, Dr. Yam created the Women’s Leadership Institute of Baltimore to serve as a convener of women and men on issues of gender equity in Baltimore, the State and beyond. In April 2025, the University will host the Women of the World (WOW) Baltimore Festival, which is expected to attract close to 1,000 people from around the region. In recognition of Notre Dame’s ongoing commitment to advancing women, The Daily Record honored the University with its inaugural 2023 Empowering Women award.
The 2024 Most Admired CEO winners will be honored at a celebration on November 7 at the Hilton BWI in Linthicum Heights. Dr. Yam was previously named to The Daily Record’s Most Admired CEOs list in 2021, and she is also a member of the Circle of Excellence as a three-time recipient of the publication’s Maryland’s Top 100 Women award (2017, 2020, 2024).
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
