Our Blog

Tabby Fique, Howard County Conservancy

Tabby stops by this Friday to tell us all about what’s happening at the Conservancy. Hear all about volunteer opportunities, group activities, special events and other ways you can get involved.

Tabby is the Land Manager and Easement Coordinator for the Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant. She has been with the Conservancy in various capacities since 2005. With degrees in business administration and environmental studies from UMBC, she is also a Maryland Master Naturalist and a Howard County Master Gardener.

As Land Manager, Tabby is in charge of the 232 acre grounds of the Mt. Pleasant location, the captive animals on site, and various educational programs. As Easement Coordinator, she handles all responsibilities of their easement programs. Tabby works closely with volu

nteers to accomplish ground and garden maintenance activities, routine animal care, education programs and annual easement monitoring.

Blanka McClammer became involved with Better BedRest in 1993, being instrumental in inviting the organization to share the information on the maternity unit. She has been a board member for the last 5+ years assisting in carrying out the mission of the organization.

Better Bedrest provides services to high risk pregnant women who have been placed on bed rest and are unable to pay some of their bills, as they are not working. They provide them with a grant up to $500 and pay their bills that are delinquent.
 
Survival of the organization depends on the generosity of various organizations and donations from individuals. Better Bedrest also hold several fundraisers each year to help raise  money to give as many grants as possible to women.

Blanka McClammer is a registered nurse with 39 years of maternal and neonatal nursing experience. The last 32 years of her career were spent in management; as a nurse manager of Obstetrical unit at HCGH and other hospitals; and as a Director of Clinical Education. Her experience consists of  faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and other school of nursing schools to designing maternity units and newborn nursery at a local hospital. Currently, she is the Director of Patient Safety and Nursing Excellence at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
 
Learn more at www.betterbedrest.org

Join us this Friday as Jennifer Bodensiek stops by to tell us all about Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. Jennifer has been the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland since 2009. Junior Achievement of Central Maryland serves Maryland’s young people, educators, and business community. With the support of 3,000 volunteers, Junior Achievement reaches more than43,000 youth with financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs throughout the Baltimore region. Launched just four years ago, Junior Achievement’s Howard County initiative provides more than 5,000 students and families with the knowledge and skills they need to own their own economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.

Jennifer previously served Junior Achievement’s parent organization, JA Worldwide, in key leadership positions including vice president of development and JA USA director of capstone experiences. Jennifer also served as a major gift officer for Johns Hopkins University and assistant vice president for Bank of America. Jennifer is a graduate of Virginia Tech and resides in Ellicott City with her husband Ed and their two sons.

Friday morning, Jennifer will touch on:

Building the Next Generation for Success.
 
Read the news for an hour and you will find the consistent theme: Economic and workplace change is happening at a scale never experienced before. At the same time, our children are ill-prepared to enter college and the workforce. As a community, how do we help our young people thrive and succeed in a rapidly changing global economy? Don't miss it!

This Friday we welcome Geoff Arnold, Broadcasting and Public Relations Manager for the Frederick Keys. 

Geoff Arnold enters his second season for the Frederick Keys, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. In this role, he serves as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer, works as the club’s primary liaison to the media and assists with Keys marketing initiatives. Prior to joining the Keys, Arnold spent the previous two seasons as the Assistant Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and as the Broadcaster and Media Relations Administrator for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. A 2010 graduate of Dickinson College, Arnold began his professional career as a minor league baseball umpire in the Gulf Coast League.

 
Geoff will discuss:

• How minor league baseball and the player development process works
• How are major league and minor league teams run differently
• What a minor league offseason entails for a minor league staff/players
• Keys to the big leagues/what Keys fans can be excited for in 2015

This week we welcome Cathy Smith from Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center to tell us about her newest program, Don't Do Nothing. Cathy has been raising awareness and community support for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center for the last 7 years. She is the outreach coordinator for Change Matters, the student-led fundraising initiative, having successfully raised over $150,000 in change since its inception in 2008. She is also the event coordinator for Soup’r Sundae, now in its 7^th year. Mark your calendars: Soup’r Sundae will be held at Wilde Lake HS on Sunday, March 22^nd from 12:00 – 2:00 pm.

Cathy is visiting with us to share a new suicide prevention program being implemented in Howard County High Schools. Don’t Do Nothing is part of the high school Change Matters program getting kids to realize they are empowered to help a friend in crisis. Don’t Do Nothing educates students about the signs of suicidal thoughts and urges them to intervene if they suspect a friend is in trouble. It also encourages students to raise money for Grassroots, which operates a 24-hour crisis hotline.

Suicide is a serious issue, particularly among teens. According to a 2011 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 16 percent of high school students nationwide considered suicide that year and 7.8 percent actually attempted suicide. Extrapolating that number to Howard County means there were 1,291 student suicide attempts in Howard County last year.

Join us this week as we welcome Todd Olson to tell us all about the great new things that are happening with this fantastic annual event.

The mission of the Columbia Festival of the Arts is to present a world class celebration of the arts and entertainment that attracts, engages and inspires the broad and diverse community it serves.

TODD OLSON is in his first year as Executive Director of the Columbia Festival of the Arts. Before that he spent 11 years as Artistic Director of American Stage Theatre Company in St. Petersburg, FL. Last season Todd received the “Best of the Bay” Award for “Best Director” for Wit, and won the Theatre Tampa Bay Award for “Outstanding Director” for The Amish Project. He was also last year’s recipient of the Florida Professional Theatre Association’s Richard G. Fallon Award for Excellence in Professional Theatre.

Todd has directed over 150 plays, musicals, and operas, including My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, (which he co-created) at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and I Left My Heart (also co-created) at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Original works include Casa Blue, the last moments in the life of Frida Kahlo, and Joe Corso Re-Enters from the Wings, which won the 2012 Holland New Voices Playwright Award at the Great Plains Theatre Conference and is now published on Amazon.com.

Todd received his M.F.A. from The University of North Carolina, and is a graduate from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard. Todd lives in Columbia with his wife Charlotte, and three children, Jonas, Corinna, and May.

A letter that Chaya Kaplan, our CSAS recipient sent on behalf of the A-OK Mentoring and Tutoring, Inc.

Welcome Rev. Dr. Robert M. Mbinda...

This week we are very excited to have Rev. Dr. Robert M. Mbinda as our guest speaker to tell us all about the Good Samaritan Orphanage in Mbeya, Tanzania

Rev. Dr. Robert M. Mbinda, Director of the Good Samaritan Orphanage, is a priest of the Anglican Church in Tanzania. He earned a Masters of Divinity in 1986 from Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1993 through UNISA. He has ministered to parishes in both rural and urban areas of Tanzania, and taught New Testament and Homiletics at seminaries in Tanzania and Botswana. Robert also ran a development project for World Vision in Tanzania.

Challenged by the devastation of the AIDS pandemic on Tanzania, and moved by faith, love and Christian commitment to make a difference, Robert and his wife, Mariam, a nurse midwife, determined to change the lives of children who have been orphaned by AIDS. They began Good Samaritan Orphanage in 1996 by taking eight children into their home, raising them along side their own four children. In 2000, they acquired a parcel of land south of Mbeya and worked to expand the number of children who could benefit from a safe, healthy and loving home, support for education, spiritual and emotional guidance, and hope for a better future. By 2006, there were 79 children onsite and a dedicated team of staff and local volunteers. Since that time, with the  financial support of congregations and committed individuals, GSO has grown to serve 200 children between the ages of 6-18 years of age. They have developed a welcoming and effective home environment that will eventually become a good source of learning and training.

The overall goal of GSO is to nurture future leaders for their community; young people who will grow to self-sufficiency, just as the leaders of GSO seek to be wise and self sufficient. The children raise much of their own food and they care for one another as siblings of a much larger family. In recent years, a deep well, water storage, electricity, dormitories, and classrooms for trade education have been added to the site. A soap making business has begun. Over 40 acres of land has been planted to grow timber for long term financial support and crops for short term sustainability. The current goal is to develop basic facilities for a teaching college which would serve the community and provide ongoing income to GSO.

The local community recognizes the positive difference Robert and GSO are making for the children and the community itself. Local leaders are working with hand in hand with Robert. The most pressing current need is support to the education and health of the local village primary and secondary schools, as well as future development of professional and trade education for students from GSO and those living in the surrounding community.

What began as a vision to change the lives of children is truly changing the lives of an entire village in Tanzania.

Learn More:

Father Robert Mbinda:   robert.mbinda@gmail.com  

410 458-7796  cell phone in US through Nov. 2014

Karen Heist, US Coordinator: Karen.heist@stjohnmd.org   410 799-8888

St. John Lutheran Church, 6004 Waterloo Rd., Columbia, MD 21045

Welcome Jennifer Pilholski...

This week we are very excited to have Jennifer Carr Pilholski as our guest speaker to tell us all about the Ebola epidemic and Education in Sierra Leone.

Jennifer is the president and founder of the Sierra Leone Education fund. Jennifer's connections to Moyamba, Sierra Leone date back to the 1940's when her great aunt, the late June Hartranft, served as a missionary at the Harford School for Girls. She started this organization, along with Eric (a former Rotaractor) to continue to support and empower the young women that her aunt came to love so much. A Penn State

graduate in Geography, Jennifer currently works for a watershed restoration non-profit in Annapolis, Maryland and previously worked with International Rescue Committee. 

Meet our speaker this week is from BONSTINGL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, Jay Jay Bonstingl.

Bonstingl is a full-service international consulting firm specializing in Baldrige-based Quality solutions for world-class leaders and their organizations.

Their clients are recognized leaders in business, healthcare, education, government, and associations who celebrate their strengths as they work toward greater quality and success. They help them to prosper at every level, both professionally and personally.

Through their confidential executive coaching and consultation, seminars, workshops, and motivational and informational keynote talks, clients reap the benefits of our thoroughly research-based expertise so they are better able to grow the relationships, environments and processes most conducive to high performance and prosperity.

Jay Bonstingl, a Pittsburgh native, moved to Columbia in 1974 to take a teaching position with the Howard County Public School System.  Jay left the classroom in 1986 to open his own private practice as a consultant, author, and public speaker specializing in education and business improvement through Quality principles and practices.  Jay's national program in youth leadership development, called Leaders for the Future, makes it possible for kids across America to identify their own innate leadership strengths and build upon them through service to others.  By teaching kids the essential, practical tools of peace-building, Jay and his team have reduced the prevalence of bullying and antisocial behavior in schools, families, and communities, as those kids learn the skill sets that also will make them ready for success in the highly competitive 21st century world of business.  Jay is the author of 3 books, including an international best seller titled Schools of Quality, with more than a quarter-million copies in print in several languages.

This week at our meeting we provided and packed up food and other supplies for families living in emergency housing in local motels until better arrangements are found for them. The “motel boxes” are stored until needed by Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, which is the original point of entry for individuals and families seeking shelter in Howard County. This is the second time this year that we've done this and probably not the last. We were able to purchase and gather provisions for 40 motel boxes. We had a lot of fun as always – while doing a great thing for our community.

On Friday August 15th, Mr. Steven C. Snelgrove drops by to tell us all about the future of Howard County Genera Hospital. As new President, Steven is responsible for the overall operation and direction of the hospital. An experienced leader with 34 years of health care management experience in both academic and community hospital settings, Mr. Snelgrove joined the HCGH team in January 2014.

Prior to joining Howard County General Hospital, he was with the Wake Forest Baptist Health System, where he had worked since 1989, holding several positions critical to hospital operations, including vice president of medicine and operations and director of facilities, planning and construction at the main academic campus of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Most recently, he served as president of two of the health system’s community hospitals, Lexington Medical Center and Davie County Hospital. Having grown in his career as part of a large hospital system, he brings established skills working with both community and academic-based physicians to advance care in the community. Working collaboratively with physicians, he has led Centers of Excellence for clinical services such as orthopedics, heart and vascular, and neurosciences. In addition to his leadership positions, early in his career, he worked in planning, institutional development and general services at Baystate Medical Center, a 1,100 bed teaching hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Snelgrove earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management from The University of Connecticut and a Masters of Business Administration at The University of Hartford. Mr. Snelgrove has been extensively involved in professional and community activities and organizations. While in North Carolina, Snelgrove served with the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, and the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership. He recently served as chairman of the 2013 Tanglewood Heart and Stroke Walk, a cause which he is passionate about, as he has a family history of heart and stroke disease. Mr. Snelgrove earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management from The University of Connecticut and a Masters of Business Administration from The University of Hartford. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been a member of the Policy Development Committee of the North Carolina Hospital Association.

Personally, Mr. Snelgrove enjoys photography and is an experienced hockey player. In fact, Mr. Snelgrove played hockey at the University of Connecticut and still plays hockey weekly.

A Century of Service: The Story of Rotary International

The spirit of service is alive and well in the 21st century. Just look at Rotary International--a nonprofit organization of 1.2 million members in more than 165 countries dedicated to improving the human condition. In an increasingly complex and impersonal world, Rotarians remain committed to helping their communities--and the world beyond. Who are the men and women behind the world's premier service organization?

A "Century of Service" goes beyond the mere chronicling of the names, dates, and programs that represent Rotary's first 100 years. Rather, it succeeds in bringing to life the philosophy and commitment to service that empower Rotarians around the globe. This volume contains a motivational "string of pearls" that describes how ordinary people have accomplished the extraordinary.

Another great member post: Member Spotlight. Please meet new member Kalie Fishburn.

Ms. Kalie Fishburn

Kalie is the Community Ambassador for both The Neighborhoods at St. Elizabeth and The Green House Residences at Stadium Place — two Catholic Charities nursing communities in Baltimore. She is responsible for  all marketing and outreach efforts as well as working with families to assist in the admissions process.

Most local nursing homes are very traditional and operate on a hospital based efficiency model, meaning that elders are at the mercy of the staff. However, St. Elizabeth and the Green House have gone through a radical culture change and are now viewed as national leaders in skilled nursing care. They operate under an elder centered model of care — meaning that Elders are in complete control of their rhythms of daily living. 

Although she has worked in the field of skilled nursing care for several years, her current position was her first true experience in marketing — early on, she was pretty nervous! She spent her first 2 months working to increase business with Catholic Charities focused solely on increasing the census at the Green House. Through outreach at local hospitals, community events, and the development of a strategic marketing plan, business soared! For the first time in its 2 year history, the Green House reached and exceeded its projected budget. To date, it is still completely occupied with a waiting list. “It has truly been a great ego boast as a newbie in the field of marketing!” says Kalie.

Kalie was born and raised in Rochester, NY where most of her family still lives. She has an older sister who is truly her best friend. She has been married for 2 ½ years to an amazing person who works hard, makes her laugh, and is an all around great guy. She’s also happy to announce that they are expecting their first baby on September 1^st! Kalie spends a lot of her extra time traveling to New York to visit her family. When home, they enjoy hiking, going out to different local restaurants, and spending time with friends.

Kalie loves to laugh. Besides her husband’s humor, she absolutely loves comedians and anyone who has a good joke or story to tell. “But really, I have a very easy time finding the humor in almost any situation.” Kudos to you, Kalie.

Yet another installment of our ever-popular feature: Member Spotlight. Please meet RCCP's very own Ms. Kellie Lego

Ms. Kellie Lego

Kellie is an attorney with a primary focus in immigration law. Her firm (MVP Law Group) also offers other services in the areas of estate planning and business formation. With immigration, she assists individuals and corporations – large and small, in obtaining temporary work visas/permits, permanent resident status (Green Cards through employment or through family) and naturalization. They also assist individuals eligible for the new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

She assists and advises individuals/corporations across the U. S. and the world. She helps corporations prepare the requisite paperwork and petitions to bring qualified foreign workers into the United States. With the significant backlog in almost all areas of immigration, she is anxiously awaiting Immigration Reform!

Her Estate Planning and Business Formation services are able to assist Marylanders with will drafting, power of attorney preparation, establishing advance directives and the creation of prenuptial/post-nuptial agreements. Her law firm provides a wide range of business and legal services, including Business Formation; Contract Review; Business Agreements & Letters; and Registered Agent Service.

Kellie’s proudest career moment came on January 6, 2011, after being an employee of the company since 2005 in the roles of receptionist, law clerk, and associate, the owner of the firm approached her and asked if she was ready to take over the ship. Without hesitation, she drew up the agreement and the rest is history.

In 2013 AND 2014, Kellie was named to the Maryland Rising Stars list in the field of Immigration. The Rising Stars list is compiled by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business that rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas. 

Kellie grew up in Altoona, PA, where the majority of her immediate family still live. Her mother, the Principal of Linton Springs Elementary in Carroll County lives here in Maryland. Her father, who worked for the Federal Government for over 15 years is now working for her law firm serving the position of Legal Assistant/Communications Manager. “My family is my support and without them, I would not be where I am or who I am today.” During her 2^nd year of law school, she rescued her “son” -- her black and white Cocker Spaniel. “He brightens my day, each and every day.” 

Volunteering is her favorite hobby. She volunteers at least two-three times a month on the weekends to engage in pro bono opportunities and/or community service related activities: (Catholic Charities/Hogar Immigrant Service/ Casa de Maryland/Homeless Persons Representation Project/Wills for Heroes, and more).

Kellie loves to dance, shop, travel, read, organize and sleep. In 2014, Kellie made a resolution that each weekend she is going to work on one home improvement project — whether it be tiling the laundry room floor, painting the trim in the RAVENS WOMAN’S cave, installing a new dishwasher…so far so good…yet its only March!

While in the U.S., each pair lives together with an American host family for four weeks. The aim of this four-week residency is to promote friendship and understanding through interaction and to further develop leadership skills. The teens begin to discover what they have in common and learn to communicate and cooperate as they move together through their time in the U.S.

"Building Peace in Cyprus: A Rotary Model for the World"

This week we're pleased to have as our guest speaker: Martin Johnson.

"Most criminals are not considering the odds of getting caught — they live in the moment," he said. "Think about it: A fraudulent document only has to be good enough to be accepted and get the job done — nothing more."

Martin Johnson retired from the Howard County, Maryland Police Department in 2009, serving as a detective for 17 of his 25 years. He has been engaged in the intensive study of identity documents for 18 years, and is an identity document analyst and investigation advisor for police departments.  He is a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office Identity Theft Working Group in Baltimore and an intelligence partner with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Forensic Document Laboratory.

Martin is a DHS-certified instructor and an educational program developer for the Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education, a teaching arm of DHS.  He teaches the detection and investigation of fraudulent identity documents and counterfeit money to law enforcement officers, retail industry representatives, and other government agents.  He has examined thousands of identity documents involved in criminal cases and has personally investigated hundreds of other cases involving counterfeit identification. He has arrested many ID counterfeiters and shut down their manufacturing operations.

We were privileged to have State Comptroller, Peter Franchot as our guest/presenter last week. You can read about his program and his special gift to our very own Alan Jefferson in our newsletter, but here's a bit about Mr. Franchot and his work.

Peter Franchot was elected Maryland's 33rd Comptroller on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006. As Comptroller, he has been an independent voice and fiscal watchdog for the taxpayers of Maryland.  Under his leadership, the Comptroller's Office has made the tax filing process easier and more user-friendly for Maryland taxpayers, recaptured more than $3 billion in delinquent taxes, and led the effort to protect Maryland consumers from unscrupulous tax preparers. As a member of the powerful Board of Public Works, Comptroller Franchot has also worked to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent carefully and appropriately. Comptroller Franchot attended Amherst College (B.A., 1973) and Northeastern School of Law (J.D., 1978). He served in the United States Army, from 1968 to 1970. Peter is married to Anne Maher, a lawyer, and they have two children, Abigail and Nick. Peter and Anne live in Takoma Park, Maryland.

The Rotary Club of Columbia/Patuxent has selected Vic Broccolino as the recipient of its second annual Community Service Above Self Award. The award recognizes a non-Rotarian who gives back to the community in a way that reflects the Club’s spirit of having fun through community service.

Vic has been the President and CEO of Howard County General Hospital for almost 24 years. During that time, he has dedicated himself to service, not only by leading the hospital to achieve top ratings for quality clinical care, but through support of numerous non-profit organizations throughout Howard County. Vic has been on the boards of United Way, Maryland State Emergency Medical Services, Superintendent’s Advisory Council for Educational Partnerships, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Maryland, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Howard County Center of African American Culture, American Heart Association, and the Howard County Economic Development Authority.  

Vic has made it a priority that the hospital financially support non-profit organizations, and he directs his management team to participate in supporting Howard County non-profits through their active involvement as board members for organizations they feel passionate about.  “It’s hard to imagine an individual with a greater impact on Howard County’s non-profits than Vic Broccolino” said Joan Athen, Chair of the Charitable Trust of the Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent.  

The Community Service Above Self Award includes recognition at the Club’s fundraiser, Night on the Riverboat, on Friday, November 1, a Paul Harris award, and $5,000 to be donated to a local non-profit in Vic’s name.  Vic has chosen The Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center to receive the donation. The Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center is Howard County's remarkable place of hope, help and support for men, women and children living with cancer. The Center was founded in 1998 in memory of Claudia Mayer, a cancer patient who sadly lost her battle with the disease but whose memory lives on. Vic will officially be honored and awarded at the Rotary Club of Columbia/Patuxent’s major fundraiser, Night on the Riverboat.