The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) has announced the appointment of Atwood (Woody) Collins III to the Maryland Port Commission. Mr. Collins currently serves as Executive Vice President of M&T Bank. The Maryland Port Commission establishes policies directed toward improving the competitive position of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore within the international maritime industry.

'We are very fortunate to have as a Commissioner an individual who brings a strong background in finance and economics to the Maryland Port Commission,' said MPA Executive Director Brooks Royster. 'Woody Collins' wide breadth of knowledge in the financial field will complement the strengths of the current Commission.'

Mr. Collins has served as Executive Vice President of M&T Bank since 1988. He also serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of M&T Bank's Mid-Atlantic Division. In 2002, Mr. Collins relocated from Connecticut to Baltimore in conjunction with M&T Bank's 2003 acquisition of Allfirst Financial, Inc. Prior to joining M&T Bank, he was a Senior Vice President of J.P. Morgan & Company, where he held a number of positions in the US and overseas in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Collins is involved in a number of outside community and philanthropic activities.

'It is a distinct honor to be appointed as a Port commissioner,' said Mr. Collins. 'I am looking forward to working with my fellow commissioners to further expand the Port's tremendous economic momentum.'

Mr. Collins was appointed to a three-year term on the Maryland Port Commission by Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.