Former Trustee of the Baltimore County
Employees Retirement System
Kevin O’Connor founded O’Connor CARES Solutions in 2017 to assist clients achieve their objective and succeed by crafting innovative solutions and creating opportunities regardless of the political, economic or social climates. His consultation and advocacy provides value added services to those seeking to influence policy makers; develop marketing and growth opportunities for their enterprise; navigate labor and financial markets; understand the unique characteristics and politics of Taft-Hartley and Public Pension Funds and, most importantly, develop strategies and solutions to survive and succeed in the marketplace. Mr. O’Connor has been widely recognized as one of the most effective lobbyists/advocates on federal and state legislative and regulatory issues. His counsel and advice is welcomed on both sides of the aisle.
Previously, Mr. O’Connor has served as Assistant to the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a Washington-based labor union and fire service organization representing 305,000 members in the United States and Canada. He was responsible for directing the IAFF’s Governmental Affairs, Political Action and Public Policy Division and served as the lead lobbyist for the IAFF. In this position, he personally led the advocacy on the various iteration of the Portman-Cardin series of legislation and successfully inserted an amendment in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 to establish a $3,000 tax exclusion to pay for health care costs of retired public safety officers.
Mr. O’Connor was an elected trustee of the two billion-dollar Baltimore County Employees Retirement System from 1987-2000 and served as chair for six years. Kevin has lectured both nationally and internationally on pension fund governance, actuarial issues, investment policy, and member communications. He also served as a commissioner of the Maryland Economic Development Commission, commissioner of the Maryland Fire, Rescue, Education and Training Commission, co-chair of the Glendening-Townsend Gubernatorial Transition Committee for Public Safety, member of the Oversight Committee on the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Commission, member of the Baltimore County Charter Review Commission and member of the 2004 Democratic Platform Drafting Committee.
After the 2016 General Election, Kevin was appointed by DNC Chairman Tom Perez to serve on his transition team to evaluate Party operations and help chart a path to improving the DNC brand and win elections. He has also been awarded the Maryland Democratic Party’s Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Mr. O’Connor attended Washington and Lee University majoring in Political Economy as well as the Harvard University Trade Union Program.