Category: Howard County

Coming Soon: Howard County Consolidated Human Services Center

Howard County has budgeted to create a nonprofit center in Columbia in 2017. The basic model is a physical facility that accommodates several nonprofit organizations in order to share resources and provide better service to the community. As a leader several years ago on the board of the Association of Community Services, I was a strong advocate for making this happen.

In Maryland, Baltimore City, Carroll County, and Montgomery County have nonprofit centers. “Thriving communities, better social services for more people, new civic infrastructure, and successful models for public and private partnerships are just some of the benefits when nonprofit organizations co-locate and share resources,” according to the Nonprofit Centers Network. Continue reading Coming Soon: Howard County Consolidated Human Services Center

Advertisement

How Diverse is Columbia, and Howard County MD?

The website WalletHub says Columbia, Maryland is among the 100 most diverse cities in the U.S., but surpassed by several cities in Montgomery County, Maryland. Of course, diversity is one of Columbia’s values that was radical 50 years ago and clearly has been an important reason that many people moved here. It is an economic driver that is important for any city to embrace. 

The WalletHub study considered diversity as more than just ethno-racial and economic diversity.  Its findings were cause for a lively discussion on the Facebook page, Celebrating Columbia Maryland and its Future. I decided to delve into the issue a bit more.  Continue reading How Diverse is Columbia, and Howard County MD?

Commentary: Local Control

How often do we complain about stuff happening around us that is out of our control? I don’t hold that to be true of local government. Our leaders are our neighbors. In county government, Ken Ulman, Mary Kay Sigaty, Calvin Ball, and Jen Terrasa are all Columbia residents. In the course of testifying at public hearings on behalf of nonprofit organizations I’ve worked with and attending various social events, I’ve met these politicians and know them to be honorable people concerned about our community. They will be the first to admit that they are not expert in all things and therefore depend on citizens like you and me to educate them about the issues and their likely impact on the community. Continue reading Commentary: Local Control