Engaging Leaders: A Leadership Maryland podcast

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Since our first class came together in 1993, Leadership Maryland has provided a safe forum for local leaders to engage on the vital issues affecting our state and work to build solutions for real, actionable change. Through our podcast, we aim to bring these dynamic conversations to the airwaves, welcoming local business and community leaders from all sectors, industries, and geographic regions in Maryland to discuss the current trends and issues impacting how we work and live. We are taking a hiatus before season 3. Listen to seasons 1 and 2 here or on your favorite podcast app including Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and Libsyn.

Season two

Episode 7: Guest Eli Modlin ’19 (LM), Chief of Staff and Director of Government and Community Relations at Salisbury University, joins us to discuss how Salisbury University has navigated political, social, and COVID-19 issues, while faculty and staff have worked together to assist students and families during this unprecedented time. Eli shares insight on leadership roles within the University, and how the institution goes above and beyond to engage with and support the greater Salisbury community.
Episode 6: This month on Engaging Leaders we welcome Sean Looney ‘96, vice president of state government affairs for Comcast NBCUniversal. Listen as Sean which qualities separate average leaders from outstanding ones, and why true leaders are defined by their ability to adapt to circumstances, ask questions, and engage in uncomfortable conversations.
Episode 5: In this episode, Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM), and guest host Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM) are joined by Joseph DeMattos ‘08, president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM). During the conversation, Eric, Eliot, and Joseph discuss leadership lessons from COVID-19—particularly in the healthcare industry—and how to lead from where you are, while understanding the importance of over-communication and the mirage of control during crisis.
Episode 4: Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM) and guest host Memo Diriker ‘12 are joined by Jim Perdue ‘00, chairman of Perdue Farms. During the episode, Eric, Memo, and Jim discuss how Perdue Farms has navigated the pandemic, the different dynamics of family leadership, and the importance of diversity in decision-making.
Episode 3: President of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, Phoebe Stein ’10, discusses 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.
Episode 2: Maryland Higher Education Secretary Dr. James Fielder ’98 discusses the status of higher education in Maryland—including how to move forward as a state during unprecedented times. Throughout the episode, Fielder hones in on the importance of lifelong learning, educated workforces, and how to stay relevant and ahead of the curve in the workplace and within educational institutions.
Episode 1: In our Season 2 premiere, Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM) is joined by Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM), who represents all things leadership—having served as program facilitator for Leadership Maryland, Leadership Montgomery, Leadership Southern Maryland, Leadership Washington County, and Leadership Allegany since their inception. Throughout the episode, Eric and Eliot walk listeners through the Leadership Maryland experience—highlighting the intimacy and state-wide networking opportunities created during the program, as well as the vast perspectives, ideas, and issues that participants encounter. Eliot breaks down what it really means to be a leader and how to use leadership tools to create positive change for others. He also explains why any message about his departure from Leadership Maryland was premature, as he has decided to rejoin us for the Class of 2021!

Season One

Episode 6: In this episode, Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM) is joined by the Executive Vice President of the City of Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), Kim Clark ’09. Throughout the episode, Kim discusses her unique background, and how it led her to serving 21 years at the BDC, the different challenges of Baltimore City and how to approach them, the pandemic’s impact on commercial and residential real estate, the status of transportation, and more
Episode 5: Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM) and cohost Renée Winsky ‘05 are joined by Kelly Schulz ’16, Maryland Secretary of Commerce, to discuss how to be a leader that creates change for the community instead of for themselves. Schulz dives into Maryland’s workforce development and how to inspire, encourage, and provide citizens—especially Maryland’s youth and local business owners—with the resources they need in order to succeed and benefit the community.
Episode 4: Eric Brotman ‘09 (LM) and cohost Renée Winsky ‘05 are joined by Alexander Núñez ’05, senior vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs for BGE, to discuss leadership in a private sector company, and how there are many pathways to success that can often lead to a stronger, more sustainable, and equitable future for an entire community.
Episode 3: In this episode, Eric Brotman '09 (LM) and cohost Renée Winsky '05 are joined by Dr. Jean Accius '14 to discuss how leaders can address inequities in the workplace and the aging population, and how to reinvent the system in order to move forward with stronger practices to ensure quality care for all. 
Episode 2: This week, we are joined by Jim Brady '93, former Secretary of Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, and former board member of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., Constellation Energy Group Inc., McCormick & Co. Inc., and Dunbar Armored, Inc. Eric Brotman '09 and Memo Diriker '12 talk with Jim about how each of us can play a role in moving forward as a society by recognizing our true foundations, learning to listen, and thinking outside of the box.
Episode 1: In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski '93, President of University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Eric Brotman '09 and Dr. Hrabowski discuss how to be an innovative leader who inspires change with optimism and mutual trust. In this discussion, they cover how leadership is not about you, it’s about how your community demonstrates their values; how to use positivity and innovation to fuel change; and, why leaders are responsible for facilitating the “hard conversations.”

OUr hosts

 Eric D. Brotman ‘09 (LM)
Eric D. Brotman ‘09 (LM), CFP®, AEP®, CPWA® is Chief Executive Officer of BFG Financial Advisors, an independent firm assisting clients with wealth creation, preservation, and distribution. An accomplished host, author and public speaker, Eric brings financial literacy education to the masses through the work of Brotman Media Group and hosts the podcast “Don’t Retire…Graduate!” He is a lifetime member and former chairman of the board of Leadership Maryland.
Dr. Memo Diriker ‘12
Dr. Memo Diriker ‘12 is the founder and director of BEACON at Salisbury University, offering applied business and economic assistance to a variety of public, private, and non-profit organizations. Dr. Diriker has co-authored a book and authored or co-authored many articles in academic and practitioner publications and is a popular speaker at many regional, national and international events. He is a lifetime member and a former chairman of the board of Leadership Maryland.
Renée Winsky ‘05
Renée Winsky ’05 has been the President and CEO of Leadership Maryland since 2013. With more than 20 years’ experience in Maryland’s technology sector, Renée is passionate about the growth of the state’s economy, and inspiring the professional development of the state’s most promising entrepreneurs, innovators, CEOs, public officials, non-profit executives and other leaders.