Our Inaugural Champion of Hope

Dr. Grasmick has made an indelible mark on Kennedy Krieger Institute, and we are grateful beyond measure for her enormous service to this Institute. We are thrilled to honor her at our inaugural Champions of Hope Gala, as she is truly the greatest example of what it means to champion the mission and work of Kennedy Krieger. 

Dr. Grasmick’s impact on education, arts, health, scholarship and leadership not only spans the state—but transcends it. Her professional and personal commitment to excellence in all that she does is a model for anyone who comes in contact with her. 

Dr. Grasmick served as the longest-tenured state superintendent of schools in the country, for the top-ranked Maryland public school system. During her tenure of 20 years—from 1991 until 2011—she served 24 districts, 1,424 schools and 869,113 students. She began her career as a classroom teacher at what was then known as the William S. Baer School for the Deaf, now the William S. Baer School, in Baltimore City before serving as its principal, and then as associate superintendent for Baltimore County. Dr. Grasmick received her bachelor’s degree from Towson University, her master’s degree in d/Deaf* education from Gallaudet University, and her doctorate in communicative sciences from The Johns Hopkins University. 

To say that Dr. Grasmick has a passion for and commitment to education does not do her justice—in Maryland, the name “Nancy Grasmick” is synonymous with excellence in education.

In 2012, Dr. Grasmick was appointed presidential scholar at Towson University. In 2021, she founded the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute at Towson University, which has become in just a few years a principal resource for comprehensive and results-driven leadership development across all industries. 

In addition, in 2018, Dr. Grasmick joined the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, as a College Park Professor, a designation conferred upon nationally distinguished scholars. Dr. Grasmick serves as the president of the Carson Scholars Fund Board of Directors. At Johns Hopkins Medicine in 2022, Dr. Grasmick, honoring her late husband, Lou, established the Lou and Nancy Grasmick Professorship in the Division of Cardiology, which was awarded to Dr. Wendy Post, the first female faculty member to hold an endowed professorship in that division. 

Dr. Grasmick began her relationship with Kennedy Krieger over 40 years ago, when she was a Baltimore County educator and then a public school principal, referring students and patients to the Institute. 

She has served on the Kennedy Krieger Institute Board of Directors since 2011. In 2018, after Dr. Gary Goldstein announced his plans to retire after 30 years as president and CEO of the Institute, she co-chaired, with Ron Peterson, the search for the Institute’s next president and CEO, resulting in the successful recruitment of Dr. Brad Schlaggar. She then took the helm of the Institute’s board of directors as the first female chair, serving for six years, concluding in June 2024. She remains on the board today and also serves as vice chair of the Kennedy Krieger Foundation Board of Directors. 

Dr. Grasmick has a deep understanding of all segments of the Institute. Her infinite ability to connect with others and to communicate with all constituents, from advocates to lawmakers, from donors to community members, is unparalleled. Her unique talents and skills have been especially beneficial to Kennedy Krieger in the expansion of our educational services, including our inclusive pre-K and early childhood programs. Dr. Grasmick believes that every child deserves an exceptional education, and the impact of her philosophy is felt across the state. We are privileged to honor Dr. Grasmick as our inaugural Champion of Hope.

*Kennedy Krieger Institute recognizes that the word “deaf” can refer to both a condition and a culture. Kennedy Krieger spells the word as “d/Deaf” to be inclusive of both hearing status and cultural identity