Leadership Howard County Presents Awards For Outstanding Service

By Kim Mangus



On June 10, Leadership Howard County (LHC) held its 14th annual dinner and awards ceremony to recognize outstanding achievements in service throughout the community.

Each year, LHC honors a Leadership Howard County graduate who has demonstrated significant service toward the improvement of the community. LHC selected Humanim CEO Henry Posko (LHC class 1992) as the 2003 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Posko's experience and expertise in working with the public and nonprofit organizations has made him an acclaimed leader in Howard County.

Posko has been the co-chair of the United Way of Central Maryland Campaign, president of the Howard County Association of Community Services and chairman of the board of directors for the statewide Leadership Maryland program. He has also been on the board of many other organizations throughout the community. As CEO of Humanim, Posko has had great success, focusing on providing uncompromising human services in the areas of mental health, vocational training, neuro-rehabilitation and training for the deaf and those with developmental disabilities. Posko works with fundraising organizations, volunteers at the Leadership U weeklong summer camp and runs a training day during which kids of all ages learn valuable leadership skills.

The Leadership Legacy Award acknowledges a LHC graduate whose service has had a lasting effect on the Howard County community. Recipients of this award have a long-standing dedication to civic service and have been active in generating a positive change throughout the community. This year's award was presented to Maurice Simpkins (LHC class 1995), vice president of Public Affairs at The Ryland Group. In his work, Simpkins is accountable for developing and implementing The Ryland Group's community relations programs, which includes charitable contributions and political and legislative activities. Simply stated by attorney Dick Talkin, who introduced Simpkins, "Maurice is just a fabulous person. People need to step up and take care of the needs in the community, and Maurice is one of those people who have and always will." Although The Ryland Group is no longer based in Baltimore, Simpkins continues to push for support in the Baltimore area.

Simpkins is active as chair of the Affordable Housing Alliance and the African Art Museum of Maryland. He is also active in the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Housing Corp., United Way Community Partnership Board and Humanim, among other.

LHC presents an annual award for graduates who work to improve the lives and well-being of children in the community. The 2003 Child Advocate Award was given to Jane Walker (LHC class 1988) for her dedication to the growth of children in Howard County. As a social worker and the first executive director of the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health, Walker has been responsible for the incorporation of the organization, the formation of the first board of directors and the set-up of all office and personnel matters. She won the Audrey Robbins Award for Human Service Professionals in 1986, the Mental Health Association of Maryland Advocate of the Year Award also in 1986 and the United Way Management Distinction Award in 1992.

In 1997 and 1998, Walker served in Uganda, East Africa, to provide technical assistance to a local nonprofit organization serving orphans. Walker has been involved in numerous activities dedicated to children's health and well-being including: Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center; United Nations NGO World Conference on Women; Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health; Association of Community Services of Howard County; Mental Health Association of Maryland.

For those LHC graduates who strive to make a positive change in the community, yet remain behind the scenes, there is the Unsung Hero Award. This allows people whose work has not made headlines to receive some well-earned appreciation. Michael Russo (LHC class 2001), senior vice president of Citizens National Bank, received the award for continually working hard to better the community through different organizations. "Mike is always cheerful and does things happily. He is so generous with his time and just really wonderful to work with," said Susan Porter (LHC class 2001), president of inSITE Training, who will be his vice-chair for the general Membership Committee that he will oversee in 2003-04.

Russo has volunteered on a regular basis for the Howard County Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Affairs Committee and Community Awards Night, and has served on both the Howard County's School System's Human Resources Advisory Committee and the Police Foundation Board. While representing the bank, he has been a force on the Route 1 Revitalization Committee, supervised a record-breaking United Way Campaign, worked with the Teachers Incentives Program and helped raise donations for a coupon booklet given to teachers each year.

The final award of the night was awarded to the LHC Class of 2002. The Best Class Ever Award is presented each year to a class that has outdone itself through team spirit and commitment to its Leadership experience. The class must have high levels of participation in LHC activities and refer others for future LHC classes.