LEONARDTOWN, MD – March 4, 2022: On February 25, 2022, Leadership Southern Maryland’s Emerging Leaders Program (LEAP) Class of 2022 held its second of six program sessions.

The day opened at College of Southern Maryland (CSM), La Plata Campus with a stress management assessment administered by Erin Farley LSM’21 and Dana Rose of CalvertHealth Medical Center. Farley and Rose continued the morning session with a discussion on building resilient teams.

After lunch, the class team leaders led the planning for their capstone project in partnership with Christmas in April Calvert County. This was followed by a panel discussion with Charles County leaders including Commissioner Thomasina Coates LSM’22 and Marcia Keeth LSM’18, deputy director, Charles County Economic Development Department. The panel discussion was moderated by Phillip Melton LEAP’20, ESD tech agent team lead of Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC-IHD).

The afternoon session continued with a discussion on thriving in a stressful environment led by Shaniqua Cousins LSM’22, operations officer at NAVAIR and founder of Shaniqua Cousins World Group LLC, a lifestyle brand. The day also included a book discussion of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team with Stuart White, chief learning officer for NSWC-IHD. The final activity of the day was a summary group reflection with Leslie Fazio LSM’22, team effectiveness and coaching team lead for NAVAIR and the Emergenetics and session facilitator for LEAP Class of 2022.

At the conclusion of the program day, the class adjourned to The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille to meet members from LSM’s LEAP Class of 2020.

Leadership Southern Maryland’s Emerging Leaders Program (LEAP) provides educational programming opportunities to new or emerging leaders in the region. Through a series of six “experiences,” young leaders facilitate, foster, and refine their individual leadership understanding and abilities via structured course curriculum and a focus on self-discovery, teamwork, and networking. Experts from across the region and state representing business, government, education, and the nonprofit community serve as panelists and guest speakers.