41 Professionals Join Howard County's Leadership Premier Class Of 2027

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The newest class of leaders has been added to the Leadership Premier Class of 2027.

Leadership Howard County has identified 41 professionals from across the business, government, nonprofit, education and community service sectors to be in the 10-month leadership development program.

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Leadership Premier explores the Howard County community by connecting participants with Howard County businesses and local leaders and educating them about county issues.

This year, Leadership Howard County will integrate a collaborative problem-solving methodology into Leadership Premier. The new methodology is part of a national pilot with 14 community leadership programs launched by the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution and the National Community Leadership Collaborative, according to the program leaders.

Leadership Howard County partnered with the International Coaching Federation Maryland Charter Chapter this year to integrate professional coaching into the program.

"Leadership Premier has always helped people better understand Howard County," said Tim Payne, president and CEO of Leadership Howard County. "We're increasingly asking a second question: What should someone be more capable of doing because they experienced this program? For us, that means developing leaders who can listen with curiosity, navigate difference, understand complex systems and work with others around the challenges and possibilities we share as a community."

Members of the 2027 Leadership Premier Program are:

• Erin Adelsberger, Community Action Council
• Felicia Anthony, Lutheran Village at Miller's Grant
• Mandy Arnold, Winter Growth
• Lauren Baron, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
• Gina Beaver, CMT Partners LLC
• David Benigni, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
• Maria Bernadzikowski, Howard County government
• Alan Biars, Cured/18th & 21st
• Kelly Clark, Howard County Library System
• Tiffany Clark, Maryland Office of the Attorney General
• Michele Crosby, Equal Justice Works
• Clarence Dickerson, Howard County government
• Hilda Emeruwa, Total Home Physical Therapy
• Wanda Erinle, WE Consulting Solutions
• Robert Gillette, Howard County Veterans Foundation
• Denise Giuliano, NAMI Howard County
• Bay Golfin Byrd, Maryland Legal Aid
• Joan Green, Fello
• Charmaine Heard, Charmaine Heard Inc.
• Alexandra Iriarte, Rehab 2 Perform
• Laura Just, Howard County Economic Development Authority
• Wes Kingsley, Harkins Builders
• Sowmya Krishnamoorthy, Baltimore Gas & Electric
• Caryl-Lyn Mazullo, Morgan Stanley
• Julie Miller, Columbia Association
• Jim Moxley, Security Development Corp.
• Christopher Ndekwu, M&T Bank
• Angela Nichols, Community Ecology Institute
• Keith O'Neil, Johns Hopkins Federal Credit Union
• Christy Page, Rebuilding Together Howard County
• April Perry, Maryland Economic Development Corp.
• Michael Popp, Howard Community College
• Vondell Richmond, Keller Williams
• Jeremy Robbins, Krav Maga Maryland
• Lilja Stefansson, Planned Parenthood
• Jack Streett, Whiting Turner
• Sandra Tello, Howard County government
• Allyson Ward, Capstone Consulting
• Marie White, APL Federal Credit Union
• Douglas Withrow, Contour Construction LLC
• Jess Yocum, Riverdrop Coaching & Consulting

"Howard County doesn't lack talented leaders," Payne said. "Our most complex challenges require those leaders to understand one another, work across sectors and differences and recognize what becomes possible when we bring different strengths to the same problem. Leadership Premier gives people a place to practice doing exactly that."

Launched in 1985, Leadership Premier addresses county issues in monthly daylong seminars where participants meet with established leaders in business, government and community services.

Since its inception, nearly 1,650 individuals have graduated from Leadership Premier, with many now leading nonprofit boards and civic organizations serving Howard County.