LEONARDTOWN, Md. – October 28, 2016: On October 14, 2016, the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Class of 2017 participated in the second of nine educational sessions – Education – sponsored by the College of Southern Maryland and Calvert Library. The day was hosted by Carrie Plymire LSM’16, director for Calvert Library at the Calvert Library in Prince Frederick, Maryland, with an introduction and welcome by Executive Director Helen Mattingly Wernecke and Lead Advocate Mary Anne Bowman LSM ’14, deputy director for the St. Mary’s County Library. The class experienced an educational “town hall” made up of 27 organizations and schools, all providing examples of the work, products and people associated with education in our region. The town hall was facilitated by Mary Anne Bowman LSM’14. It was followed by a tour of the library by Sara Stephenson, virtual services coordinator for St. Mary’s County Library.

In the afternoon, Dr. Bob Schaller LSM’15, associate professor of business and site director for the Florida Institute of Technology Southern Maryland, facilitated a panel discussion with senior administrators from College of Southern Maryland (Dr. Brad Gottfried), St. Mary’s College of Maryland (Professor Larry Vote), and Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (Dr. Mel Powell) on the changing role of higher education in meeting the employment and training needs for Southern Maryland. Following this, the class members had a chance to hear about the public school systems’ budgets, facilities, competences, assessments, and challenges from the three county public school systems: Mrs. Diane Workman, assistant superintendent of instruction for Calvert; Dr. Kimberly Hill, superintendent of schools for Charles, and Mr. Scott Smith, superintendent of schools for St. Mary’s. This panel was facilitated by Katie O’Malley-Simpson LSM’16. A panel of nine high school students from calvert and charles counties rounded out the afternoon, offering their perspective on the positives and negatives of their high school education. This Q&A session with the students was also facilitated by Katie O’Malley-Simpson LSM’16.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a nine-month tuition-based program and is designed and dedicated to educate and inspire a diverse group of current and emerging leaders to create collaborations and partnerships to impact the community needs of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties and incorporates a cross-section of the region to include diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity and gender.  For more information, please contact the Helen Mattingly Wernecke, Executive Director Leadership Southern Maryland, 240-725-5469 via email helen@leadershipsomd.org or visit devaney.adminprotools.com.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service (EIN#26-2989381).  Contributions are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by law.