Renowned Tech CEO, Philanthropist Vows to Work for Accountability, Justice and Change.
Contact: Ray Feldmann | [email protected] | 410-507-7714
Bowie, MD (March 30, 2021) – Pledging to serve taxpayers and small businesses across the state as an agent of fiscal responsibility, economic justice and social change, Bowie Mayor and acclaimed technology entrepreneur Tim Adams today declared his candidacy to become the 34th Comptroller of Maryland.
Adams, 62, would be the first Black Comptroller in state history. He would also become the first paraplegic to ever hold statewide office in Maryland.
“My life has been the embodiment of the very best possibilities of our country and state, and I am running to help provide every child in Maryland with the same opportunities for success and security that I’ve enjoyed,” said Adams. “To do so, we must ensure that our tax dollars are invested wisely, everyone pays their fair share, and our business climate allows our small businesses and entrepreneurs to compete on a level playing field.”
Adams announced his campaign today with a video that was produced and directed by Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, a prominent Democratic media consulting firm based in Washington, DC. The 2:35 piece, titled “Let’s Roll,” recaptures landmark moments in Adams’ personal and professional journey. It features Timothy Adams, Jr., a drama major at New York University, in scenes depicting his father’s earlier years.
In declaring his candidacy, Adams promised to use the power of his office to help change a business and economic climate he has frequently characterized as “adrift.” As one of three votes on Maryland’s Board of Public Works, which approves most state contracts greater than $200,000, he promised to hold agencies accountable for procurement transparency, commitment to open bid competition, and compliance with Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) laws.
“For all of our talk about so-called ‘government transparency,’ Maryland’s procurement system is still weighted in favor of incumbent vendors and those with the best political connections,” Adams said. “This works out perfectly well for a handful of Annapolis insiders, but not for the taxpayers or for those emerging entrepreneurs who can offer better services at lower costs.”
Adams was elected in 2019 to serve as the first Black Mayor in the 138-year history of Bowie, Maryland. He is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Systems Application & Technologies, Inc. (SA-TECH). Headquartered in Prince George’s County, SA-TECH provides technology-based services for America’s national security sector. SA-TECH has secured a spot on The BE 100s – the list of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses, as developed by BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine. It has also been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of the 10 leading minority-owned companies in the Greater Washington region.
Adams promised to use a blend of proven technology, data analytics and better laws to collect money that is lawfully owed to the State of Maryland.
“Our existing tax policies are geared to protect international corporations and appease special interests while imposing an even greater burden on struggling families, consumers and small businesses,” said Adams.
In addition to endorsing the policy known as “Combined Reporting,” which eliminates the ability of multistate corporations to avoid Maryland tax obligations by sheltering profits in other states, Adams pledged to sponsor legislation to recapture taxpayer subsidies from businesses that fail to deliver their intended results.
Adams received his Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University and his M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans. He has been inducted into the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Hall of Fame for the Mid-Atlantic Region and, in 2013, was inducted into the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.
Adams has also been recognized as one of the Top 100 African-American Leaders in America by the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce and has been presented with both the Washington Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award and The Daily Record’s ICON Honors Award.
His record of civic engagement includes a successful tenure as Chairman of the Bowie State University Foundation and service to the Prince George’s Community College Foundation, the Doctors Community Health Foundation, the Greater Maryland Health System, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the Prince George’s Business Roundtable and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Adams resides in Bowie with his wife, The Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson-Adams; their children, Timothy, Jr., and Kayla; and their grandson, Nehemiah, child of his late daughter, Tiara.
Noting the role that education played in lifting him from childhood poverty and racial segregation in rural Louisiana, Adams sharply criticized Maryland’s failure to provide all public school students with safe, healthy and modern school facilities.
“In the State of Maryland, it is just not acceptable to send children into buildings and classrooms that are literally falling apart,” Adams said. “It is inhumane to expect teachers and children to work in buildings that are freezing in the cold months and sweltering in the warm months. And it is inexcusable that some children who do not have access to high-speed Internet are expected to produce the same test results as those children who do.”
To restore a culture of oversight, Adams called for oversight of Maryland’s Public School Construction Program to be restored to Maryland’s Board of Public Works.
“Until we get our fiscal house in order and build a 21st century economy that offers opportunity to all Marylanders, we will not be able to sustain our investments in those priorities that matter to all of us,” said Adams. “I have the experience to make a difference from the day I’m sworn in, and I look forward to sharing my values and vision for office in every corner of our state.”
Friends of Tim Adams, James Whitehead, Treasurer