Testimonials

"LAA was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. It has changed my outlook in many areas and has allowed me to become a better citizen of the county. Someone said to me that this would be a “life changing experience.” It truly was."

Holly Mills, FLG08

"Leadership Anne Arundel Neighborhood Leadership Academy has empowered me as a parent to empower other parents to become involved in the community."

Rhonda Ulmer, NLA06

"I found Leadership Anne Arundel’s Executive Leadership Series (ELS) to be very beneficial. Being new to the area, the series allowed me to quickly become acclimated to the nuances of AnneArundelCounty. I would not have been able to participate in the Flagship Program due to time constraints, so the ELS fit perfectly to my schedule. I had a great group of classmates and today share personal friendships with many of them. The program is a definite must for new executives to the Anne Arundel County area."

Bruce Abbott
ELS 2003

Vice President & General Manager
Comcast Chesapeake Bay Group

"I like everything about NLA - from the workshops to working with all of the friendly people."

David Harris, NLA06

"Meeting the community leaders helped me to understand the concerns and needs of the community. It helped shaping me into a better advocate for human and civil rights... Being a part of LAA/NLA exposed me to a higher level of community involvment. My commitment to help others seemed more defined and directed once I obtained the community leadership training."

Lisa Stroman, NLA99

"Neighborhood Leadership Academy caused me to look at concepts I knew in different ways and introduced me to ideas I had not considered. It opened my eyes to leadership possibilities. "

Sterling Seay, NLA06

"Leadership Anne Arundel offers superb opportunities and professional experience that allows you to better understand and contribute to resolving the important challenges faced by our county. "

Chuck Vogan (FLG06) President - The Pharos Partnership, Inc.

"What I learned from LAA is to become a good person and use all my talents in my community to make it better."

Sonny Yilmaz, NLA06

"Leadership AA has encouraged me to stay in the present and to work towards personal growth and development. Most importantly, LAA stressed the importance of being a solution to the problem by stepping up to the plate and being a navigator."

Hasan McMillan, NLA06

"Before I became a member of the Leadership Class of 1996, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about AnneArundelCounty. I had been a resident of the County for more than 40 years and was an active volunteer in many organizations and government related activities. Participation in the Flagship Class opened my eyes to how little I really knew about the County, the residents, the environment and government. It was my participation in Leadership that encouraged me to run for elected office. I am delighted to remain active in Leadership Anne Arundel, participating in program days, educational experiences and networking opportunities."

Pamela Beidle
FLG 1996

"Being a leader in NLA enabled me to use the tools to advance my career. It gave me the strength to step outside my box and speak up for what I felt was right. It gave me a voice!"

Barbara Palmer, NLA06

"Leadership Anne Arundel helped me to have more confidence in dealing with the general public. I also learned the importance of a more diverse population by ethnicity, those unsung heroes and identifying the communities that were in the most need."

Ada Anderson, NLA06

Building:
Leaders
Activists
Achievers
in Anne Arundel County Communities - Shirley Perry LAA06

"I was in the first Executive Leadership Series class back in 1998. I found the executive class to be very rewarding. I have been a resident in AnneArundelCountysince 1977 and thought I had a comprehensive understanding of the county. Yet I learned more about the county and gained substantial insight regarding regional economic development, education and governmental issues. Probably the best part has been the opportunity to meet and work with many concerned citizens through Leadership Anne Arundel. Since then, I have become more involved in community activities, including the ProvidenceCenter, Project Lead the Way (Board of Education) and the BWI Business Partnership."

Gary Beach
ELS98

President
McCrone, Inc.

"Leadership Anne Arundel has changed my life: I have learned what community trusteeship is all about. I have been blessed to understand, receive and allow mentorship from other community leaders who have had the community’s well being at heart. The community looks for leadership, not necessarily the-being-in-front-of-the-camera type of leadership, but leadership that performs by activity in areas of the community that requires the greatest level of NEED. Unknowingly, each person who is going through or has gone through LAA is being prepared for the well being of the entire community.

I have applied these skills in my community work by being a bridge builder, sharing that thread of synergy, hope, love, and truth, which is missing between people who are still beyond and transcends OUR fears and misunderstandings of each other. I have applied these skills as a result of my relationship with my God, my family, and my individual and collective relationships.

Serving on the Annapolis Community Partnership, formerly the Alliance for a Drug-Free Annapolis, LAA, AACCC, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, BB&T, Volunteers Center of AA County, Cultural Arts, the Stanton Center for a Drug-Free Annapolis, The City of Annapolis Crisis Intervention Team, the Maryland Arts Council and a few other Boards of Advisors and Boards of Directors has afforded me the opportunity to learn some of these necessary skills: strategic planning, setting goals and objectives, team building, consensus building, implementing programs (creating and building the first Office of Community and Social Programs for the city of Annapolis, July 2002), evaluating efforts and how to mentor the next generation of community leaders."

Tony J. Spencer
FLG 1995