Robert D. Kunisch, President of Howard Bank, a growth-focused community bank serving businesses, professionals and individuals in the Greater Baltimore area, was elected to the 2018-2019 Maryland Bankers Association (MBA) Board of Directors.

As a board member, Kunisch will represent Howard Bank and work with members to provide relevant education for bankers, maintain the competitiveness of the banking industry, and promote local accomplishments.

“It’s a great honor to be selected by the Maryland Bankers Association,” Kunisch said. “Representing Howard Bank gives me the opportunity to share our perspective as a community bank that serves a large region in the Greater Baltimore area. I’m excited to work with the team to test and apply strategies that will advance Maryland’s banking industry for the future.”

According to the Association’s President and CEO, Kathleen Murphy, "MBA’s Nominating Committee recommended Rob Kunisch for our board because of his varied banking experience in Maryland. He has held high positions at both small and large banks, and has a real talent for anticipating the long-term effects of every decision. Having been elected by his peers at our Annual Meeting, I’m confident that Rob will bring the right factors and expertise to our board.”

With 28 years of experience, Kunisch has run some of the largest banks in the region, and knows every nuance of banking from commercial lending to deposit gathering. Kunisch got his start in 1990 at the Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Company and remained on the team after it was acquired by PNC Bank. In 2007, he declined a management position to pursue his passion for community banking.

He joined Wilmington Trust FSB in 2008, which was acquired by M&T Bancorp in 2011. Still seeking a career in community banking, he led an investor group that acquired First Mariner Bank, and was later tapped to serve as Chief Executive Officer. After Howard Bank acquired First Mariner Bank in March 2018 to create the largest locally owned bank in Maryland, Kunisch was named President.

Kunisch earned his Bachelor’s degree from Providence College, and went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland. He serves as Chairman of the Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, and is a board member of Catholic Charities of Baltimore.

For a complete listing of the MBA Board of Directors click here.

About Howard Bancorp, Inc.

Howard Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Howard Bank, a Maryland-chartered trust company operating as a commercial bank. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Howard Bank operates a general commercial banking business with approximately $2.1 billion consolidated assets through its 21 branches located throughout the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Additional information about Howard Bancorp, Inc. and Howard Bank is available on the company’s web site at?www.howardbank.com.

About the Maryland Bankers Association

Founded in 1896, the Maryland Bankers Association (MBA) is the only Maryland-based trade group representing banks in the state. MBA’s member banks employ more than 40,000 banking professionals and hold 97 percent of the FDIC insured deposits in Maryland in nearly 1,600 branch offices. MBA serves its members as a legislative and regulatory advocate at all levels of government, as the public relations voice for the industry, as a provider of professional education to members, and as a promoter of financial education to the community.