LEONARDTOWN, Md. – May 10, 2019: On April 25 & 26, the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Class of 2019 participated in the last of nine educational sessions for LSM’s 2018-19 Executive Program – Energy and Environment.

The two-day event began at the Calvert Marine Museum’s Lore Oyster House where the class met with Captain Jack Russell, owner of Fins & Claws.  Russell spoke to the class about the life of a waterman, tools and practices of the trade, and challenges facing the industry.

Next, participants boarded a bus headed for Exelon’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant where they received a brief on nuclear energy and had the rare opportunity to take a walking tour of the facility.

The class then traveled to Dominion Energy’s Cove Point LNG Terminal, where George Anas, External Affairs Manager State & Local Government for Dominion Energy and Frank Brayton, director of LNG Operations spoke with participants about Dominion Energy’s transition to exportation of liquefied natural gas. Dominion Energy hosted lunch with an educational briefing followed by a windshield tour of the facility and a stop overlooking the off-shore exportation pier. The participants wrapped up their day with a “behind the scenes” tour of the Calvert Marine Museum.

The second day began with a visit to the Loveville Produce Auction, allowing the participants to experience “commerce in action” while observing interaction of the Mennonite and Amish agricultural community with local restaurateurs, grocers, and individuals who purchased from their harvests. This portion of the program was facilitated by Rob Plant, owner of Elements Eatery & Mixology in Lexington Park.  Plant shared his extensive knowledge and passion for buying local.

The participants then traveled to Hughesville, where they were given a tour of the SMECO Solar Farm by Tom Dennison, SMECO’s managing director of government and public affairs.  Next, the class was off to Farming 4 Hunger where they had an opportunity to learn about the farm’s mission and were introduced to tower gardens, one of the organization’s newest projects that provides outreach to local schools.

Back at SMECO, President Joe Slater along with Dennison and Natalie Cotton LSM’11, director of community and public affairs, hosted the participants at the Engineering and Operations Center, where they had a tour of the facility and educational brief on SMECO. The group concluded the afternoon with an agricultural panel discussion. The guest speakers were Plant, of Elements, Shelby Watson-Hampton, director, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), Chip Bowling, president of Bowling-Agri Services, Inc., and Paul Kellam, a commercial waterman and owner of Kellam’s Seafood.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a nine-month tuition-based program and is designed and dedicated to educate and inspire a diverse group of current and emerging leaders to create collaborations and partnerships to impact the community needs of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties and incorporates a cross-section of the region to include diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity and gender.