Each March, we celebrate the beginning of another Leadership Maryland class year with our New Class Reception. This event gives our newest members a chance to gather for the first time, meet our board members and other past participants, and share their joy and enthusiasm for the coming year. After having to postpone our 2020 program, it felt great to renew this annual tradition this year, even if we did have to forgo our typical setting of the Governor’s Reception Room in the Maryland State House for a virtual celebration.

On Monday, March 15, we hosted more than 80 guests on Zoom, including the 50 members of the Class of 2021, the individuals who nominated them, our lifetime members, and our board. We also welcomed Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd K. Rutherford as our special guest speaker. In his remarks, the Lt. Governor reminded us that leadership comes in many forms, and the opportunity to lead can come at any time, regardless of your position. He also updated us on the State’s response to COVID-19 and thanked us as local business and community leaders for doing our part to help the state persevere and recover.

We then separated our guests into break-out rooms, divided into our five key geographic regions – Central, Western, Capital, Southern, and Eastern Shore. This gave our new class the opportunity to meet and chat with our alumni in a smaller and more personal format and hear what advice they had to offer for the class year. Our past graduates commended the new class on their resiliency and resolve and advised them to be prepared to be present in each session by taking care of things at the office and at home in advance, and that what they each get out of the program will depend on what they each put into the program.

The Class of 2021 also shared what they were most looking forward to this year. They expressed their intent to apply the perspective gained during the pandemic, and that they were looking forward to focusing on the Leadership Maryland program with a mindset no other class has experienced. This class is excited to renew, restore, and network to support our local and regional communities, as well as our state and nation, in a very different world than existed just a year ago.
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It felt wonderful to finally bring the Class of 2021 together in an official capacity, and it was also a bit therapeutic for us on the staff to do something that feels normal again – welcoming a new class and building excitement for the year ahead! 

Season 2, Episode 3: Understanding the Value of the Human Experience

“Leading is not about having the answers—it’s about marshalling the resources, supporting others, and helping to get to the solution.” – Phoebe Stein ‘10

In this episode, Eric Brotman '09 is joined by the President of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, Phoebe Stein ’10, to discuss the overall mission and values of the councils, why it’s critical to invest in the humanities—art, philosophy, literature, ethics, history, and more—the pandemic’s impact on new leadership roles, and the importance of relationship building.

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In this episode, we discuss:

• The role of the Federation of State Humanities Councils and how the various councils are offering free, accessible public humanities to their communities
• The pandemic’s impact on art, philosophy, literature, history, and more
• How to respond to leadership challenges brought on by the pandemic—navigating change and transition and embracing new competencies
• The importance of learning with the community and from the community, and how the councils are helping younger generations find connections through meaningful experiences

​About our guest:
Phoebe Stein is president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the membership association of state and jurisdictional humanities councils founded in 1977. The Federation provides leadership, advocacy, and information to help member humanities councils advance public programs that engage millions of citizens across diverse populations in community and civic life. The Federation also strives to create greater awareness of the value of the humanities— history, literature, philosophy, ethics, the law—in public and private life. Stein serves on the board of the National Humanities Alliance and on the advisory councils of BFG Financial Advisors and Humanities Indicators, a project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
 
Stein was the executive director for Maryland Humanities from 2008 to 2020 and has been an advocate for the humanities at local, state, and federal levels for more than 20 years. During her tenure at Maryland Humanities, Stein expanded the council’s partnerships and resources and hosted a radio spot, “Humanities Connection,” while advancing several of the council’s flagship programs, including Maryland History Day, Museum on Main Street, and One Maryland One Book. She served on the Federation’s Board of Directors from 2013 to 2017 as both vice chair and as a member of the Legislative Committee. In 2016, she was recognized as one of “Maryland’s Top 100 Women” by The Daily Record. She is also a member of the 2010 class of Leadership Maryland. Before joining the Maryland council, Stein was the director of public affairs at Illinois Humanities. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. in English from Loyola University of Chicago and her B.A. in English from the University of Michigan.