About Grady Advisory

Exploring the “Impertinent Questions” Together

Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist and popular commencement speaker Garry Trudeau urged graduates to ask the “impertinent question” to get at that which is pertinent. Posing the impertinent question, according to Trudeau, leads to advancement and discovery. “It’s difficult to think of an institution in this country that has not had to re-examine its agenda, to ask impertinent questions about the purpose and the means of its mission.”

Trudeau’s sentiments resonated deeply with John Grady, Helene’s father and Director of the Honors Program at La Salle University, where for decades he challenged students to stay open-minded, act and think courageously, and always keep learning.  Grady adopted Trudeau’s words to inspire generations of La Salle scholars, including Helene.  Now, with Grady Advisory, Helene sets the foundation of her work in the philosophy of the impertinent question, challenging herself, her colleagues, and her clients to face and embrace those difficult, perhaps not-so-obvious questions whose explorations and answers will guide Grady Advisory’s client engagements.

About Helene Grady

Helene Grady is an accomplished and trusted leader with deep experience across the public and non-profit sectors and a record of excellence in mission-driven executive, financial, and operational management as well as policy development and execution. Helene has a strong propensity for recruiting, developing, and managing diverse and high-performing teams. Helene has cultivated relationships with a wide cross-section of civic, business, and community leaders and demonstrated success working with elected officials, governance boards, and diverse constituencies while driving innovation within resource-constrained organizations.  Helene’s passion for civic engagement and supporting collaboration and partnership across sectors motivates her work. 

"Secretary Helene Grady is a true public servant in every beautiful sense of that phrase. And when the story of Maryland’s Decade is written, her fingerprints will be all over the page,” said Gov. Moore. “During Secretary Grady’s distinguished tenure, we turned an inherited structural deficit into a surplus, delivered a tax cut to middle-class families, and secured historic investments in education, health care, public safety, transportation, and countless other priorities that Marylanders deserve. Every step of the way, she led with data and discipline. Her positive contributions to the people of our state will be felt for generations."

Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 2025

"I believe the Governor has done a good job in a comprehensive way of looking at all aspects of the budget, both revenue and cuts, in a very in-depth way."

Senator Guy Guzzone

Chair of the Senate Budget & Tax Committee

January 27, 2025

On the Record with Sheilah Kast, WYPR

"From helping implement a historic expansion of financial aid to steering us through the unprecedented fiscal challenges of the pandemic, Helene's leadership at Johns Hopkins over the last dozen years has been indispensable," JHU President Ron Daniels said. "She has been a treasured colleague, and I'm so glad that the people of Maryland will now all get to benefit from her talent, dedication, and expertise."

President Ron Daniels

John Hopkins University

November 2022

"From helping implement a historic expansion of financial aid to steering us through the unprecedented fiscal challenges of the pandemic, Helene's leadership at Johns Hopkins over the last dozen years has been indispensable," JHU President Ron Daniels said. "She has been a treasured colleague, and I'm so glad that the people of Maryland will now all get to benefit from her talent, dedication, and expertise

Ron Daniels
President, Johns Hopkins University
November 2022

"I believe the Governor has done a good job in a comprehensive way of looking at all aspects of the budget, both revenue and cuts, in a very in-depth way."

Guy Guzzone
Chair of the Senate Budget & Tax Committee
January 27, 2025

On the Record with Sheilah Kast, WYPR

Secretary Helene Grady is a true public servant in every beautiful sense of that phrase. And when the story of Maryland’s Decade is written, her fingerprints will be all over the page,” said Gov. Moore. “During Secretary Grady’s distinguished tenure, we turned an inherited structural deficit into a surplus, delivered a tax cut to middle-class families, and secured historic investments in education, health care, public safety, transportation, and countless other priorities that Marylanders deserve. Every step of the way, she led with data and discipline. Her positive contributions to the people of our state will be felt for generations

Maryland Governor Wes Moore
August 2025

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