Annapolis, Md. (February 9, 2022) – Leadership Maryland announces that Rick Gross has joined the organization in the newly-created position of manager, youth programs. In this role, he will be responsible for developing and implementing programming for Maryland Leadership Workshops (MLW), Maryland’s premier leadership development program for middle and high school students.
Gross is a natural fit to oversee MLW programming, as he has a long history with the organization. He has previously participated in MLW as a delegate and served as a past staff member, assistant director, and policy board member. He also possesses 15 years of experience in Maryland education, having worked as a special education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools and a special education chairperson and mentor teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of Maryland and his Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University.
“The people who come through MLW are the best and the brightest,” said Gross. “I look forward to supporting our Maryland youth in developing their leadership skills and creating new opportunities to gain genuine leadership experience.”
“We are very excited to welcome Rick to our team. His professional experience as an educator, combined with his lifelong involvement in and passion for Maryland Leadership Workshops, makes him the ideal person to have at the helm of our youth programming,” said Renee Winsky, president and CEO, Leadership Maryland.
In his new position with Leadership Maryland, Gross is looking forward to continuing the legacy of MLW founder, Felix Simon, by preparing more MLW delegates to be active leaders in their diverse communities. His goals for his new position include increasing MLW’s minority delegate membership and providing more opportunities for delegates to learn about cultural competency.
Rick Gross was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and currently resides in Silver Spring, Md.