On March 5, 2020, the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Class of 2020 participated in the seventh of nine educational sessions – Public Safety. This session was planned by LSM advocates Chris Breedlove LSM'18 and Captain Steven Hall LSM'18.  The day began with a tour of the Charles County Detention Center.  The class then traveled to the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute where they got an in-depth look at firefighting.  They also had the opportunity to interact with the crew of Eagle 2, a United States Park Service helicopter, and check out the aircraft.

The afternoon portion of the day included a question and answer session with Assistant Sheriff Dave McDowell (Calvert), Sheriff Troy Berry (Charles), and Sheriff Tim Cameron (St. Mary’s).  Afterward, the class watched a police drone demonstration before heading to the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy (SMCJA) where they spent the remainder of the session. The group watched demonstrations by local K9 and SWAT units, experienced what it’s like for law enforcement to make split second decisions in the training simulator, and learned about defensive training. The class held a post-session debrief at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 24 in La Plata to discuss the day's events. 

The application deadline for Leadership Southern Maryland's Class of 2021 is fast approaching.  Encourage your nominees, business associates, and connections to be a part of LSM's educational and inspiring Executive Program. 

To submit an online application, applicants should go to LSM's website - https://www.leadershipsomd.org/apply/  In addition to the application (which should include a professional bio and headshot), they will need to submit a resume, a letter of recommendation, an official authorizing statement from a supervisor or CEO indicating support of their participation in the program, and an application fee of $275.  The complete application package must be submitted no later than April 1st at 5 p.m.  

If you or someone you know still has questions about the Executive Program and application process, LSM is offering an information session online.  Go HERE for details on how to participate and to register for the session.

Please join LSM in congratulating the following grads and current class members on their recent achievements:

Tom Clark LSM'18 and LSMAA Lifetime Member was recently promoted to executive vice president at MIL Corporation.

Lauren Zimmerman LEAP 2020 and Port of Leonardtown winemaker, celebrated the kick-off of Maryland Wine Month and the Governor’s Cup Competition winners in Annapolis with First Lady of Maryland, Yumi Hogan.  

Do you have good news to share with LSM?  Tell us about your recent achievements via EMAIL. 

Leadership Southern Maryland believes that public health and safety are top priorities. With the growing prevalence of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, in Maryland, we are monitoring both federal and state guidance on how to minimize exposure to and spread of the virus on a daily basis. The health and peace of mind of our staff, board, volunteers, partners, and program participants will guide our decision-making in the coming weeks.

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve, we are taking precautions to minimize risk in the following ways:

• we will be holding all planned committee meetings via conference call through March 30th.  
• our upcoming session day for the Emerging Leader Program on March 20th will be postponed.
• the Diversity Dinner scheduled for April 4th will be postponed.

We will re-evaluate if the timeline must be extended as the ever evolving situation changes over the next few weeks. We ask our “LSM family” to monitor the situation in their own communities and follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Maryland Health Department guidance.

A special thank you to Leadership Southern Maryland's Gold & Bronze level sponsors!