Celebrating Our Honorees | Montgomery College, Maryland

Honorary Degree Recipients 1996–2019

2011 Honorary Degree Recipients

Ms. Rebecca “Becky” Wagner
Executive Director, Advocates for Children and Youth

Ms. Rebecca “Becky” Wagner

Ms. Rebecca “Becky” Wagner is the executive director of Advocates for Children and Youth (ACY) in Baltimore. The ACY, formed in 1987, is an advocacy group that strengthens public policies so that all Maryland children are safe, healthy, educated, and secure in their families and communities.

Prior to her experience at ACY, Ms. Wagner led Interfaith Works (formerly Community Ministry of Montgomery County) in Rockville for 12 years, building it into a widely respected organization bringing services to and breaking the cycle of poverty for more than 35,000 men, women, and children. Early in her career, Ms. Wagner founded Rainbow Shelter, Montgomery County’s first shelter for homeless women. She then served on the staff of U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, followed by a management post at the Consumer Healthcare Products Association in Washington, D.C.

A respected coalition builder, she has had leadership roles in the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, the Montgomery County Interagency Housing Group, Latino Youth Collaborative, Nonprofit Montgomery, Maryland Interfaith Legislative Committee, Saint Mark Mental Health Coalition, Safety Net Coalition, and Committee for Montgomery. She is a member of Leadership Montgomery’s Class of 2001 and is an Elder at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church.

Among Ms. Wagner’s many recognitions are the Gazette’s State of Maryland Top Fifty Power Players in 2010, Jewish Social Service Agency’s Jac J. Lehrman-George M. Pikser Award in 2009, Washingtonian magazine’s Washingtonian of the Year and the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation’s Exponent Award in 2008, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builder Award in 2004, and the 10th Anniversary Gaudium et Spes Award from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., for her efforts to promote justice, provide service, and enhance human dignity.

She received a bachelor’s degree in management and technology from the University of Maryland University College in 1994. She received a certificate from the Institute for Organization Management at the University of Delaware and a certificate from the Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford University.

Having just moved to Kent County, Maryland, Ms. Wagner lived in Bethesda for 40 years. She and her husband, Bob, have two sons, Bobby and David, who are married to smart and beautiful women. The Wagners have six wonderful grandchildren.