LEONARDTOWN, Md. – February 11, 2022: On February 3, 2022, the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Class of 2022 participated in the fifth of nine educational sessions for the LSM Executive Program– Housing and Human Services.

The morning began with Cathy Meyers, LSM founding sponsor and executive director at Center for Children, Inc., presenting the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) assessment. Afterward, she gave context to the assessment, educating the class on how childhood experiences, poverty, mental health, and homelessness can be intertwined and how adverse childhood experiences can affect one’s ability to thrive. The class also received an overview of the impact of housing in the region from Jennifer Moreland LSM’17, community resources director for Calvert County Government and Dennis Nicholson, executive director of the Housing Authority of St. Mary’s County.

LSM Programs Committee member Jen Brown LSM’19 and classmate Mike Bellis LSM’19, vice chair/commissioner for the Housing Authority of St. Mary’s County, led the lunchtime activity and discussion on how the class, as leaders, can help with housing and human services issues in Southern Maryland and beyond. Next, the class heard from Mel Brennan, chief executive officer of the United Way of Southern Maryland.  Brennan led the class in a poverty simulation and introduced the ALICE report, giving context to the data and helping the class to understand how many Marylanders can be financially derailed by an unforeseen or unplanned for expense.

The class ended the session with a panel presentation on the impacts of mental health and mental health access, facilitated by Karen Carloni LSM’17, Executive Director, Southern Maryland Community Network. The panel featured representatives from the Local Behavioral Health Authority in St. Mary’s and Calvert counties.

Leadership Southern Maryland’s Executive Program is a nine-month tuition-based program that educates and inspires a diverse group of current and emerging leaders creating opportunities for collaborations and partnerships impacting the community needs of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties ensuring a cross-section of the region including diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity, and gender. Applications are being accepted through April 15 for the Class of 2023.

For more information, please contact Denise Foster, executive director, Leadership Southern Maryland, 301-862-7663, via email denise@leadershipsomd.org or visit www.leadershipsomd.org.