Baltimore's Professional Leaders: Maria Johnson Darby

Meet some of Charm City’s premier business and professional leaders, coming from the worlds of academia, business, medicine, food service and philanthropy.

Maria Johnson Darby, Senior Vice President, Keswick

Maria Johnson Darby feels blessed to have spent more than 25 years as a professional in the nonprofit world. “It’s such a gift when your personal values and your professional skills line up,” says Darby, Senior Vice President for Keswick, which through its more than 135-year history, has become Baltimore’s premier provider of services for older adults, committed to enhancing the quality of life for its residents, guests, and the older adults living in the community it serves.

In her position, Darby oversees marketing, public relations, fund development, and volunteer management for all of the Keswick entities, and most recently, has added oversight of operations for Keswick’s Wise & Well Center for Healthy Living, the hub for Keswick Community Health activities. The first of its kind in Maryland, Wise & Well is designed as a place for those over 50 to pursue their health and well-being goals. This membership-based center offers classes, coaching, and personalized services across multiple dimensions of wellness.

“Wise & Well serves as a partner in developing purpose and meaning and staying active and connected – the proven foundation for healthy aging,” says Darby. “While Keswick remains dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for older adults who need its residential services, it has also extended its focus to helping people stay healthy and remain living in their own home – as more than 90 percent of older Americans prefer to do.”

Darby not only serves the Keswick community in her professional capacity, but serves the greater community through her volunteerism with organizations such as the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, Executive Alliance, Leadership Baltimore County, the Hampden Family Center and the Junior League of Baltimore. In 2017 Darby was inducted into The Daily Record’s “Maryland’s Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence.”

“Working at Keswick has not only given me the opportunity to feel that I’ve made a difference in people’s lives, but, from clients to staff, they have made such an impact on mine,” says Darby. “It’s a win-win situation.”

Keswick
700 W. 40th Street, Baltimore, MD.
410.235.8860
choosekeswick.org