Seventeen College of Southern Maryland faculty and staff members completed the college’s Leadership Enhancement Academy this year, marking the program’s second cohort since it launched in 2025 with 22 participants.
The nine-month program pairs monthly training sessions and executive coaching — through a partnership with SkillCycle — with guest speakers, leadership reading, and a capstone project tied to each participant’s own area of work. Members were selected through a competitive application process and were honored at a culmination ceremony last week. “I hope you take pride in what you have accomplished,” CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson told the group. “You invested in yourselves as leaders. What excites me most is knowing that what you gained through this experience will continue to show up in the work ahead.”
Dr. Trenace Richardson, associate vice president of Organizational Development, Talent, and Engagement, echoed that sentiment. “Sometimes leadership looks like asking the question, listening, or saying I don’t know, teach me,” Richardson said. “Leadership asks you to do something, stand up and be different so that you can start something wonderful.”
The capstone projects put those lessons to work across the college. Business Department Chair Dr. Kandace Foreman launched “Empowering Students Through Mentor Moments,” posing a discussion question at the end of each class and holding a mid-semester one-on-one check-in with every student. By the end of the term, 78% of students said the practice increased their awareness of college and career opportunities, 81% said it supported their academic progress, and 77% felt more confident using campus resources.
Web Director Kristen Long and art professor Andy Wodzianski used their capstone to launch a virtual gallery showcasing work from the Hank Willoughby Foundation Center for the Arts on the college’s website, which Long said draws roughly 3 million views a year. “The website is the front door to the college,” Long said. “It creates an opportunity for us to do some institutional storytelling and build emotional connection with the college.” Wodzianski said the online showcase also gives students professional-portfolio material from work the college selects each year for its permanent collection. “Adding their pieces to the collection is validating to students,” he said. “They can show these pieces as part of their portfolio. It’s remarkably fulfilling.”
CSM is also running its New Leaders Academy, a monthly support and resource-sharing group for newly hired directors and executive directors, alongside the flagship program.
Leadership Enhancement Academy completers: Chris Ankney, Monty Campbell, Ralph Critten, Kevin Cumberland, Laura Dyson, Kandace Foreman, Nicole Harrell, Courtney Kimble Hawkins, Jennifer Hernandez, Kristen Long, Michelle Pruitt, TJ Reim, Tiana Stone, Laura Thayer, Abram Townsend, Rachel Wallace, and Andy Wodzianski.
New Leaders Academy participants: Megan Allen, Kathryn DeBruhl, Damon Gorham, Dorian Hall, Brandon Nzekwe, Becky Price, Myisha Sudler, and James Vasquez.
