HISTORY

LAA, a non-profit 501c3 organization, is the premier leadership training and networking institute in Anne Arundel County since its start in 1993. LAA has over 1700 graduates from three (3) core programs; The Flagship Program (FLG), Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) and Executive Leadership Series (ELS).

Leadership Anne Arundel, Inc. (LAA) was incorporated March 24, 1993, by a group of forward thinking committed community citizens who wanted to improve the quality of life in Anne Arundel County and provide a support organization which would help “grow” community leaders. Many of the individuals were associated with the Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, and Arthur Ebersberger served as an active leader of the incorporation group.

The Mission established was to provide people of diverse backgrounds with education, resources and networks necessary to become successful proactive leaders.

The Flagship Program (FLG)

In 1993-94 the inaugural Flagship Program (FLG) was launched. FLG includes an intense curriculum of civic information and leadership development. It incorporates three key domains for developing community leaders: building community knowledge, developing leadership skills and gaining a philosophical understanding of community trusteeship, with emphases on the Anne Arundel County community. 

One of the methods used to establish the Flagship Program’s focus on Community Leadership and Community Engagement is the class project. 

Each year, LAA invites area non-profits and county programs to identify how the current Flagship class might solve a problem or satisfy an unmet need that is faced by that organization. Countless community initiatives have benefited from Flagship project teams over three decades of LAA Flagship classes. 

Click here to learn more about Flagship Projects.
Click here to learn more about the Flagship Program.

Executive Leadership Series (ELS)

Executive Leadership Series (ELS) was established in 1998 and offered until 2015 to provide senior-level executives with an issues-oriented overview of Anne Arundel County’s challenges, people, processes and resources.

The Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) began in 1999 as an idea of Bertina Nick (1947-2004).  Her vision was that community leaders could come from any community and could be an essential part of positive change if given the right support, knowledge and resources.  In her view, Leadership Anne Arundel was the right organization to be a catalyst for individuals from all walks of life to be involved in their communities. 

NLA was introduced through a collaboration of LAA, Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the generosity of Baldwin Foundation and the Chaney Foundation with the support of the City of Annapolis and the Associated Black Charities. NLA is targeted to current and emerging grassroots leaders in neighborhoods throughout Anne Arundel County, empowering them with skills, confidence and knowledge to improve the quality of life within their neighborhoods.

Today, the Neighborhood Leadership Academy has a track record of more than 25 years of helping connect individuals from all walks of life with the support, knowledge and resources to be involved in their communities as a force for positive change.  Bertina Nick is memorialized through a special scholarship given in her name at Leadership Anne Arundel.

Click here to learn more about Bertina Nick.
Click here to learn more about the Neighborhood Leadership Academy.

The Impact

Leadership Anne Arundel celebrated 30 years of leadership. Click here to watch a brief video on the IMPACT of LAA over 30 years in Anne Arundel County.