County Employees Complete Flagship and Neighborhood Leadership Academy Programs
Annapolis, MD (June 24, 2020)--Today, County Executive Steuart Pittman recognizes county employees who have completed the FY2020 Leadership Anne Arundel (LAA) Flagship Program and the Neighborhood Leadership Academy Program. All participants were recognized in the annual Tribute to Community Leadership and Graduation Celebration during a virtual event.
Leadership Anne Arundel’s (LAA) mission is to provide people of diverse backgrounds with the education, resources, and networks necessary to become successful, proactive leaders. The vision of Leadership Anne Arundel is to develop and nurture community trustees who improve the quality of life in Anne Arundel County by convening diverse stakeholders, bridging their divides, and facilitating resolutions for the common good.
"This program has given county employees the tools they need to gain a better perspective of resources in Anne Arundel County,” said County Executive Pittman. “Gaining knowledge and building personal and professional networks gives our employees the leverage to develop a whole community approach to meet the needs of our community."
“The 2020 Flagship and Neighborhood Leadership Academy graduates have shown remarkable dedication and commitment to their programs in a time of great challenge; a time when we need adaptive, resilient leaders more than ever. We couldn’t be more proud of this graduating class,” said LAA President & CEO Kris Valerio Shock.
Anne Arundel County Employee Graduates in Flagship and Neighborhood Leadership Academy Programs:
Flagship 2020:
Tanya Asman - Manager of Client Services, Office of Transportation
Lieutenant Michael Cox - EO/CID, Police Department
Jenese Jones - Formerly with the Office of Community Engagement and Constituent Services, County Executive’s Office
James Kitchin - Director of Community Engagement and Constituent Services, County Executive’s Office
Stephen Primosch - Vice President of Financial Services, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation
Joelle Ridgeway - Director of Disability and Community Services, Department of Aging & Disabilities
Neighborhood Leadership Academy 2020:
Barbara Balazek - Program Manager, School Health Services Bureau, Department of Health
Gregory Gulley - District Court Commissioner
John Kagiri - Engineer III, Department of Inspections and Permits
Tameka Smith - Office of Community Engagement and Constituent Services - County Executive’s Office
LAA Flagship program graduates participated in a ten-month program dedicated to learning about government, economic development, cultural arts, education, health and human services, law and public safety, the environment, and local agriculture. During this time, members of the class worked in groups to identify a community problem, and design and implement an action plan to help resolve the problem. Through the project teams, participants practice their new leadership skills while providing a valuable community service.
The Neighborhood Leadership Academy meets for six months and is targeted toward current and emerging grassroots leaders in neighborhoods throughout Anne Arundel County, empowering them with skills, confidence and knowledge to improve the quality of life within their neighborhoods.
About Leadership Anne Arundel
Leadership Anne Arundel (LAA), a non-profit 501c3 organization founded in 1993, is the premier leadership training and networking institute in Anne Arundel County. The mission of LAA is to provide people of diverse backgrounds with the education, resources and networks necessary to become successful proactive leaders. LAA has over 1400 graduates from its three (3) core programs. LAA graduates serve in leadership positions in public sector, private sector and nonprofit organizations throughout the Baltimore-Washington metro area. For more information visit https://leadershipaa.org.
For more information, contact Roz Hamlett at 410-279-4748, or by email at roz.hamlett@aacounty.org. TTY users, please call via Maryland Relay 7-1-1. All information is available in alternative format upon request.