BALTIMORE, MD (May 5, 2021) — Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz today announced several senior staff appointments, including Signe Pringle as deputy secretary. An economic development professional who has been with the Department more than 16 years, Pringle will work closely with the Secretary to carry out the Department’s mission of attracting companies to the State, working with in-state companies to help them expand and add jobs, and connecting companies with resources and partners both locally and abroad. She will continue overseeing the Department’s Division of Business and Industry Sector Development, of which she has been the Assistant Secretary since 2019.
Secretary Schulz also announced Kyle McColgan as chief of staff; John Papavasiliou as chief operating officer; and David McDaniels as chief internal auditor.
“I am thrilled to have such talented and dedicated leaders on Team Commerce, and I look forward to the great things we will accomplish together for Maryland’s business community,” said Secretary Schulz. “Our focus continues to be economic recovery, and the unique expertise of each of these senior staff members is invaluable as we work to ensure our businesses have the resources and support they need for growth.”
A Carroll County resident, Pringle has 20 years of progressive experience in international business development and management in private and public sectors. Pringle served as the Department’s director of international trade and investment, helped to grow the state’s global footprint, worked to attract dozens of international companies to the state, and assisted Maryland businesses to boost exports and market their products and services to overseas customers.
Prior to joining state government, Pringle worked as a global supply chain manager for an international marketing and distribution company in Estonia. Pringle has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree in international business, banking and accounting from the Estonian Business School. She currently serves as president of State International Development Organizations (SIDO), the leading U.S. organization dedicated to supporting state international trade agencies, and is on the U.S Department of Commerce’s Investment Advisory Council and the Center for Global Business at Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
“I am honored to be able to continue to serve the citizens of Maryland in my new role as deputy secretary. I'm committed to carrying out our mission to provide assistance to local Maryland businesses as well as promoting our state as a premier place to do business nationally and globally,” Pringle said. “I'm a true fan of Maryland and knowing that we have unparalleled assets and resources in our backyard, incomparable to any other state, gives us a real competitive advantage.”
McColgan joined the Department in 2019 as a special advisor to the Secretary, previously serving as a senior assistant to Governor Larry Hogan for four years. In his new role, he will work closely with the Secretary to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Department. A Virginia native, McColgan graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and lives in Annapolis with his wife and two dogs.
In his new role, Papavasiliou will oversee the Department’s Division of Administration & Technology. He has more than 21 years in state government in a senior leadership role, managing complex budgets and implementing enterprise IT initiatives at the state Departments of Health and Labor. Prior to state service, he was a small business owner involved in business consulting with a focus on systems development and automation. Papavasiliou served with various state and national consortia including the Emergency Managers Group, Administrators in Medicine, Federation of State Medical Boards, State Stat Leadership and various task force and workgroups related to legislative mandate. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in business administration in information systems from the University of Baltimore. A lifelong resident of Maryland, has been married to his wife Ida for 35 years and has two children, Tharrenos and Karina.
As chief internal auditor, McDaniels will perform audit verifications of businesses seeking tax credits earned for creating new jobs in Maryland, and does compliance reviews of grant applications submitted to the Maryland State Arts Council by organizations serving the arts community. McDaniels is a Certified Internal Auditor and has over 20 years of auditing experience evaluating internal controls previously for the Federal Reserve, the American Red Cross, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Baltimore County Government. He is a lifelong resident of Baltimore City, a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, and holds a bachelor’s degree in management science and economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is married and has a daughter.
