About Us | Leadership Southern Maryland

About Us

Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) is a 501c3 nonprofit community leadership development organization that’s advancing our region through a network of more than 500 leaders from diverse sectors who share a common commitment to address the needs of Southern Maryland.

For 15 years, LSM has connected, educated, and inspired Southern Maryland leaders through programs that feature exposures to our region’s industry, government, and nonprofit sectors; leadership development; and service-based activities. Our graduates emerge from the LSM experience better connected to people, organizations, and volunteer opportunities through improved understanding and service to the community. Our programs are open to leaders who live or work in Southern Maryland’s three counties: Calvert County, Charles County, and St. Mary’s County.

Association of Leadership Programs

Leadership Southern Maryland is a member of the Association of Leadership Programs—an international association that supports the efforts of leadership programs and their professionals.

Candid (Formerly GuideStar)

You can explore Leadership Southern Maryland demographics and learn more about our nonprofit and our members through GuideStar, where our organization is a gold level member. See how we’ve taken the proper steps to become a trusted 501c3 nonprofit by visiting our GuideStar profile now.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

In 2008, graduates of Leadership Maryland developed and launched a new leadership program to unite Southern Maryland’s three counties and build a cadre of well-informed and connected leaders from the region’s government, business, and nonprofit sectors.

Led by Tom Jarboe, then owner of Kieyos, Inc., the group consisted of Southern Maryland’s finest, within their own respective communities, who recognized the benefit of offering mid- to senior-level executives an eye-opening, skill-building experience that brought them out of their silos and into conversation with each other.

With support from Leadership Maryland and long-time facilitator, Eliot Pfanstiehl, Leadership Southern Maryland officially began with 28 members of the inaugural Class of 2009. Today, LSM boasts 521 distinguished graduates.

“Leadership Southern Maryland helped open my eyes to many other dimensions of our community and introduced me to people whose paths I may not have otherwise crossed in my professional life. It deepened my desire to have an impact on my community by exposing me to new needs and opportunities to make a difference.”

“While I was attending the LSM program in 2019, I realized the impact it has on the region. I was at a point in my career where I wanted to be more involved in the community and this provides the perfect opportunity.”

"LSM gave me a mid-career confidence boost, a way to give back in my community, and an opportunity to help the next generation of community leaders."

“I had the opportunity to get to know myself a little better by exploring my motivation to lead and to test my level of self-confidence, my emotional intelligence, and other qualities that are needed to become a good leader.” LSM made it possible for her to “network with other regional leaders, share challenges and accomplishments, and make a new support net for the future.”

“LSM is an outstanding program to learn about the region, the issues that most impact our friends, co-workers, and families, and an outstanding opportunity for you to learn about those issues to make a difference.”

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View more photos of the LSM Experience.