Community Corner
Ellicott City Resident To Head Grassroots
New Executive Director for Crisis Intervention Center
Board President Mary Lasky has announced the selection of Ellicott City resident Ayesha B. Holmes to serve as the new Grassroots Executive Director. She replaces Andrea Ingram, who is retiring. Holmes is the founding partner of STRATIGIX Consulting of Columbia. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for 15 years and has been a frequent trainer and presenter at national conferences on Systems of Care.
Holmes served on Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman’s Transition Team. She took Maryland Choices, working with children with special needs and their families, from one county to a state-wide program in eight years. Holmes has a Master of Science Education degree in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
“This has been a thoughtful search process, and it was worth the effort,” Lasky said. “Ayesha Holmes has valuable and extensive leadership experience in serving those in need, as well as knowledge of Howard County. We are looking forward to working with her.”
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Ingram is retiring after 27 years leading Howard County’s only 24-hour crisis intervention center and shelter for the homeless. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition for her leadership and service to the community, including the Leadership Howard County Distinguished Alumni Award and the Association of Community Services’ Audrey Robbins Humanitarian Award. She was also inducted in the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004.
Grassroots provides the county’s only emergency shelter and 24-hour crisis intervention services. Professional crisis counselors staff Grassroots’ 24-hour hotline; see walk-in clients in need of immediate counseling; operate the Mobile Crisis Team, which responds to community emergencies, and manage the county's emergency shelter for men, women and families who are homeless. In addition, Grassroots operates the Day Resource Center and manages the Cold Weather Shelter in partnership with the faith community during the winter months. For information, visit grassrootscrisis.org.
