Southern Maryland continues to build leaders

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL Peggy and Wayne Devereux of Lusby, Calvert County Commissioners President Wilson (D) and Debbie Parran, and Chris Hicks of Leonardtown enjoy conversation Friday before the Leadership Southern Maryland graduation ceremony and banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Leadership Southern Maryland graduates, from left, Sonia Wagner of Huntingtown, Carrie Polk of Chesapeake Beach, Sally Showalter of Prince Frederick and Bonnie Bowes of Valley Lee enjoy conversation. Click here to enlarge this photo Clockwise from lower left, Leadership Southern Maryland graduates Joan Gelrud of Lexington Park, Barry Friedman of St. Mary’s City, Glenna Edwards and graduate Robert Hor of St. Mary’s County, Susan Vogel of La Plata and Ann Seely of La Plata enjoy conversation Friday before the LSM graduation ceremony and banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons. Click here to enlarge this photo Click here to enlarge this photo Leadership Southern Maryland graduate Daniel Grant of Lexington Park, left, talks with Eddie Washington of Lexington Park, whose wife Mary Washington is an LSM board member.

Members of the inaugural Leadership Southern Maryland class graduated on Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons.

Calvert County graduates were Susan Vogel, executive director, Civista Health Foundation; R. Wayne Devereux, program manager, Wyle Laboratories; Wilson Parran, president, Calvert County Board of County Commissioners; Carrie Polk, president, Carrie Polk Insurance; Sally Showalter, realtor, Long and Foster Prince Frederick; and Sonia Wagner, executive director, Southern Maryland College Access Network.

St. Mary's County graduates were Laura Bayless, dean of students at the St. Mary's College of Maryland; Lisa Franzen, director of foundation and corporate relations, St. Mary's College of Maryland; Barbara Hanna, contracts manager, Compass Systems; Daniel Grant, electronics engineer, Naval Air Systems Command; Joan Gelrud, vice president of St. Mary's Hospital; Barry Friedman, senior vice president and regional manager, PNC Mortgage; Robert Hor, director IT Services, PSI Pax; Barbara Ives, dean of academics, St. Mary's Ryken High School; Mary Kukla, communications director, The Patuxent Partnership; Adrienne Latimer, human systems specialist, Research & Engineering Development; Christopher Longmore, Esq., Dugan, McKissick, Wood and Longmore; Brian Norris, chief operating officer, Cherry Cove Development; Bonnie Bowes, managing director and Navy ERP production manager, Deloitte; and Kenneth Carkhuff, small business program deputy, NAWCAD, Naval Air Systems Command.

In Charles County, graduates were Debra Davis, Esq., Debra M. Davis, P.C.; Emily Ferren, director, Charles County Public Library; Ellen Flowers-Fields, director of regional economic development, Tri County Council; Ann Seely, development assistant, Catholic Charities; and Gery VanderVliet, executive vice president, Zenetex, Inc.

"We came away from that experience more informed and with a greater appreciation for the great work being done by so many individuals in our region," said Bonnie Bowes of Deloitte, and LSM graduate, during the presentation, according to a press release. "As a region we have a lot of challenges, but we have lots of great work being done that will create even more opportunities for everyone."

Tom Jarboe and Ray Wernecke spoke passionately of their 2006 experiences with Leadership Maryland, a collaborative partner with the LSM organization, and further explained that it was their experience with the statewide program that prompted their participation in the creation of the Southern Maryland organization. "LMD was instrumental in the success and development of the LSM," Jarboe said in the release. "We have heard everything the class told us over the past year … and we are going to make next year even better."

"LSM is an outstanding program for individuals to learn about the region, those 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," said Wilson H. Parran, president of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, LSM 2009 and LMD 1999 graduate, in the release.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a nine-month tuition-based program specially designed to develop leaders from the Southern Maryland area for regional collaboration.

The LSM program is dedicated to building a cadre of informed regional leaders, prepared to address common issues and bring long-term benefit to their neighbors and communities and incorporates a cross-section of the region to include diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity and gender.

During the nine-month program, LSM participants engaged with recognized leaders in academic, health care, government and industry, focusing on leadership development by highlighting pertinent regional issues that included land use and the environment, housing and transportation, human services, health of the community, economic development, tourism, and the defense industry, education and workforce development, and diversity.

For more information, go to www.leadsomd.org.