Andrea Vernot, well known in the Baltimore marketing community and across Maryland for her passion for promoting people, places and brands, died September 23 of pancreatic cancer at age 60.

Her government experience – which included positions at local, state and federal levels – began at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & Tourism in the 1990s. Fifteen year later, she returned as Chief Operating Officer to merge three agencies into the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, according to her bio. To increase access to the arts, she helped open doors to free admission at museums and cultural sites.

She also served as U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski’s state director, and also served under Maryland Governor Wiiam Donald Schaefer, heading the Office of Volunteerism where she was one of the architects of Volunteer Maryland, which continues to serve Marylanders today. During Governor Martin O’Malley’s administration, she joined the Department of Business & Economic Development (now Commerce) and was appointed Assistant Secretary and Chief Marketing Officer.

Vernot and her husband, Brent Burkhardt, a highly respected PR executive,  moved to Cambridge in Dorchester County in 2012 and launched Choptank Communications to help governments, businesses and non-profit organizations build brand awareness and celebrate their success stories.

Born in Bethesda, she was the daughter of George Andre, a Navy officer, and Rosalia Lee Vernot. She grew up in New York, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, and the Philippines before graduating in 1980 from Atholton High School in Columbia.

Survivors include her husband of 36 years; a daughter, Alexandra Burkhardt of Brooklyn, New York; her parents, George Andre and Rosalia Lee Vernot of Columbia; a sister, Jeanne Marie Eggers of Baltimore; and a grandson.

A celebration of life will be held next year.

Image via Choptank Communications