The Live! Casino & Hotel Excellence in Leadership Award, sponsored by Live! Casino & Hotel, recognizes an Anne Arundel County business or individual who has made a significant local impact to our quality of life.

Congratulations to Carlene Cassidy (FLG05) for being honored with the 2025 Excellence in Leadership Award!

Carlene is CEO of the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation. She is an entrepreneur, coach, mentor, and educator working with programs to inspire innovation and job creation. Prior to joining the foundation, Carlene was the founding Director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute at Anne Arundel Community College where she also served as a professor for eighteen years. She also spent more than a decade in corporate leadership roles including Partner and Chief Operating Officer for a multi-million-dollar, regional computer consulting firm. In addition, Carlene co-authored three management related textbooks published by South-Western Cengage Learning.  

Excellence in Leadership Award

Past Recipients 

2024: Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS)

2023: April Nyman (ELS09)

2022: Hospice of the Chesapeake 

2021: Ricky D. Smith (FLG95)

2020: Karen Olscamp (FLG98)

2019: Dr. Dawn Lindsay (ELS13)

2018:  Tatiana Klein (NLA06, FLG07)

2017: Steve Schuh, County Executive (FLG05)

2016: Larry (FLG95) and Liz Ulvila

2015: Art Ebersberger

2014:  John (ELS98) and Cathy Belcher

2013:  Tom Marquardt (ELS05)

2012:  Maurice Tose