Managing Director

The newly renamed Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore announced yesterday that it has promoted its No. 2 executive, Christian S. Johansson, to managing director and head of the organization. Under a new leadership arrangement, David M. Gillece, president of the commercial real estate firm Colliers Pinkard and chairman of the Economic Alliance, will take on the added role of the business group's chief executive. "The reason it makes sense is the peculiarity of me coming in as chairman with 20 years of experience in economic development," Gillece said.

Michael Ross, who oversaw the revitalization of the highly respected Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn., will be named the new managing director of Center Stage today. Ross, 42, succeeds Thomas Pechar, who resigned in November after 17 months. Pechar last week was named managing director of the Alliance Theatre Co. in Atlanta. In July 2000, Pechar had succeeded Peter Culman, the driving force for 34 years behind Center Stage's emergence as one of the country's most respected and financially successful regional theaters.

Insider transactions of 1,000 shares or more for public companies based in Maryland or with operations here. Black & Decker Corp. Leonard A. Strom, officer, exercised an option for 6,500 shares of common stock at $22.56 each Feb. 28 and sold 6,500 shares at between $48.50 and $48.60 each Feb. 28 and now directly and indirectly holds 19,330 shares. Environmental Elements Richard E. Hug, director and beneficial owner, sold 72,000 shares of common at between $4.62 and $5.25 each from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27 and now directly and indirectly holds 772,091 shares.

T. Rowe Price Group Inc.'s fortunes fell in 2001, and as a consequence so did the bonuses of the firm's top executives, according to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. George A. Roche, T. Rowe's chairman and president, saw his bonus decline 32 percent last year, to $1.7 million from $2.5 million in 2000. In addition, Roche was not awarded any stock options; he received 50,000 options the year before. His base salary remained unchanged at $300,000.

So much to eat, so little time. Everywhere you looked in the mezzanine of the Hyatt Regency, there was another local chef offering his specialty. At one table, they were sauteing up citrus-crusted sea bream. At another, you were treated to baby lamb chops with spinach and goat cheese. How about that cioppino over there? Or the clams casino way over there? None of these delectable dishes was going to waste, thanks to the 500 hungry folks attending the March of Dimes' "Star Chefs of Baltimore Gourmet Fete."

Auto racing NASCAR: Named Gary Nelson managing director of competition, Kevin Triplett managing director of business operations, John Darby Winston Cup Series director, Brian DeHart Busch Grand National Series director and Joe Garone Research and Development Center director. Baseball Blue Jays: Sent P Kevin Beirne, P Matt DeWitt and IF Ryan Freel outright to Triple-A Syracuse. Mets: Named Matt Galante third base coach, Tom Robson bench coach and Mike Herbst assistant trainer. Announced John Stearns and Bobby Floyd will not return as coaches next season and have been offered other jobs within the organization.

WASHINGTON - President Bush plans to nominate James B. Lockhart III, a specialist in pension benefits who was one of Bush's classmates at Yale, to be second in command at the Social Security Administration, the White House announced yesterday. If confirmed by the Senate as the Woodlawn-based agency's deputy commissioner, Lockhart, 55, will help lead a staff of 65,000 employees nationwide. His selection was made as labor disputes and a backlog of paperwork are posing major challenges for the agency.

NEW YORK - Goldman Sachs Group Inc., this year's No. 1 mergers adviser and stock underwriter, is firing about 12 percent of its investment bankers to reduce costs as business slows. The dismissals of nearly 150 employees include managing directors, vice presidents and associates, said Lucas van Praag, a Goldman spokesman. Revenue from investment banking fell 8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier. Goldman's firings are a sign that the firm doesn't expect the underwriting and mergers businesses to return to the record levels of 1999 and early 2000, the height of the dot-com boom, analysts said.