Fifth Group Graduates Prestigious Regional Nine-Month Leadership Development Program
Many, throughout Southern Maryland, have been celebrating the proud graduates in their lives during recent weeks. Earning that diploma or that degree is a pivotal point in any graduate’s life and serves as a springboard to their future endeavors.
For this year’s graduates of Leadership Southern Maryland’s regional nine-month leadership program, the Class of 2013, the celebration is one of both personal achievement and regional enrichment. The network of informed leaders continues to strengthen as the program finishes its fifth year.
On May 3, a commencement ceremony was held at Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa in Calvert County and the following graduates, from throughout the tri-county area, were honored:
After selection for the Leadership Southern Maryland program, the Class of 2013 engaged with recognized leaders and delved into many pertinent regional issues such as energy and the environment, agriculture, housing and human services, public safety, economic and workforce development, education, technology and defense industry, community health and diversity.
Through a series of workshops and behind-the-scenes visits to important facilities in the region, the group gained a greater understanding of their community and learned of the need for leadership development and collaboration in a multitude of areas.
The ceremony featured guest speaker Eliot Pfanstiehl, CEO of The Strathmore and long-time facilitator of Leadership Maryland’s core program, who has become an integral part of the Leadership Southern Maryland program as well.
Matt Scassero, a Leadership Maryland graduate, founding board member, past president and member of LSM’s Leadership Council, described Pfanstiehl as an engaging speaker and “a man with a wealth of knowledge about the state of Maryland.”
He explained how Pfanstiehl is there at the beginning of the program to talk to class members about how to get the most out of their experience and is there at commencement to ask them ‘What now?’, encouraging them to apply their leadership skills in their communities in a tangible way. This year, he said, the class members Pfanstiehl put on the spot during the ceremony were able to provide thoughtful and thorough answers.
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