“My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness." - Maya Angelou

 

Each year as the Tribute to Community Leadership & Graduation approaches, it seems like an awesome challenge ahead for our small team of three - to bring all of the pieces together. Shout out to Operations Director Nancy Hartzell who is the driving force behind the event. As ominous as it may seem in the weeks leading up to the event, once the plaques and awards are in hand and the badges and programs are printed, I find a calm comes over me. I realize again, the magic of the Tribute event and in Leadership Anne Arundel for that matter, lies in the people. 

 

What makes Tribute so special year over year is the amazing room full of community leaders - graduates who invested their time in the Flagship or Neighborhood Leadership Academy programs; featured honorees, recognized for the richness of their contributions to the community; Board Members, Members, volunteers and sponsors all coming together to positively impact our county.

 

"Just add people!"  But not just any people - community leaders are a unique mix of passion, purpose, commitment and resilience. It is an absolute honor to shine the spotlight on Anne Arundel County's dedicated community leaders. 

 

And now, as our graduates and honorees continue onward in their leadership journeys, LAA prepares to welcome a whole new class of Flagship participants. We turn inward for a few short weeks to plan and prepare and in early September we will welcome 50+ new community leaders into their Flagship year kicking off our 30th Anniversary year.

 

If you are wondering what the best fit would be for your LAA engagement in the months ahead - whether you just graduated, you graduated ages ago or anywhere in between, there are loads of opportunities to connect in the coming months. Join me for the next LAA 101 to learn more. Click here for details and registration.