Dean Ertwine currently serves as Director of Army Programs in the Office of Military and Federal Affairs, Maryland Department of Commerce, where he provides support and advocacy for Maryland’s military installations and defense communities.  Prior to joining Commerce in 2015, Dean completed a 31-year Army career, followed by 12 years of defense industry experience at Battelle, where he served as Vice President for the Army Market Sector, responsible for Battelle’s Army business development and customer relations.  He has also served as Executive Director of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, a coalition of Maryland employers with a long-term commitment to support education reform and improve student achievement in Maryland. 

Dean was commissioned in the Field Artillery from the United States Military Academy, with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering.  He later earned a Master of Science degree in Physical Chemistry and a Doctor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Lehigh University, served as a Chemistry Professor at West Point, and subsequently transferred to the Chemical Corps and Army Acquisition career field.  His education also includes a Master of Science degree in National Resources Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and a Training-with-Industry assignment with McDonnell Douglas Technologies, Inc.