Economic Opportunity and Prosperity Task Force
Task Force Information
Expand AllThis 15-member task force will examine a range of topics including workforce support, economic development, education, housing, and transportation.
Leonardo McClarty (co-chair)
Leonardo McClarty is the President/CEO of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce where he is charged with the strategic direction and growth of the 700+ membership organization. His specific duties are largely centered in four distinct areas, organizational leadership and business development, program management, marketing and community relations, and fiscal management. Prior to coming to Howard County, McClarty was the Director of Economic and Community Development for the City of York, PA where he was responsible for promoting the city to the private sector in efforts to foster economic investment and neighborhood redevelopment. Within his purview were the Bureaus of Economic Development, Health, Housing, and Planning-Permits-Zoning. A native of the Atlanta area, McClarty served as the President/CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce for nearly 10 years. A career economic development professional, McClarty has also worked for the City of Roswell, GA, DeKalb County, GA, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. He holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Furman University and a graduate degree in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University. He is a Certified Chamber of Commerce Executive (CCE) though the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), Certified Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council (NDC), and is a graduate of the US Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management. McClarty is married to Shaneka McClarty, his wife of 13 years and they have three daughters, Sage (9) and identical twins Sydney and Sarai (4).
Phyllis Madachy (co-chair)
Phyllis Madachy has lived in Howard County for over 40 years with a career focused on improving community services for older adults and their families. In Howard County Government, she has served as Administrator of the Office on Aging, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, and Director of the Department of Community Resources and Services. With The Coordinating Center, she was Vice President of Aging and Health. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Association of Community Services and Winter Growth Adult Day Care; on the Executive Committee of the Paul R. Willging Endowment at Howard Community College; and is active with Leadership Howard County. In her retirement, she is involved in workforce development efforts on a statewide basis to develop career pathways for direct care and paraprofessional workers wanting to serve older adults and persons with disabilities.
Ali Abidi
Ali Abidi has been a Howard County resident, student, and advocate for over 10 years. He has a Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity and is a Cybersecurity specialist at the Internal Revenue Service. He is also the current president of Howard County Muslim Council (HCMC) where he advocates for Inter and Intra religious unity, understanding, and cooperation. In the past, he had served as an executive for a start-up called Global Parcel Services in the technology and logistics space. He has also served as Youth Coordinator at his Mosque where he oversaw and participated in various community service programs throughout Maryland. Ali hopes to bring his passion for improving businesses and lives through technology as a member of this vital task force.
Ana Cisneros
Ana Cisneros, is an Information and Referral Outreach Coordinator for FIRN. She has a good rapport with the immigrant community, working primarily with the Hispanic community as a trusted advocate. Ana is known by clients to treat them with respect and compassion and so they are willing to share their most guarded experiences, hardships, and traumas, that they don’t feel comfortable sharing with others. For that reason, she will be able to share invaluable information about the immigrant community in Howard County. Prior to working at FIRN, Ana worked in a Bethesda law firm as an advocate for Veterans in the USA and Puerto Rico, helping them get the benefits they deserved.
Anne Brinker
Anne Brinker has been a Howard County resident for 11 years and is the Vice President of Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), Howard County’s designated anti-poverty organization. Prior to joining CAC, Anne served as the Director of Strategic Organizational Planning for the Columbia Association. Anne currently serves on the Board of Leadership Howard County. Before moving to Howard County, Anne worked with and advocated for low-income and at risk populations in New York City, Los Angeles, and El Paso, Texas. Anne brings strategic planning experience as well as knowledge of best practices and unique approaches to creating economic opportunity for households through system coordination and partnerships.
Betty Noble
Betty Noble is the Associate Dean and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Business Computer Systems Division of Howard Community College (HCC). Betty brings to the table 15 years of working in Howard County supporting innovation and business start-up through her work at HCC. She is also a practicing executive coach working with for profit and non-profit executives in the County and elsewhere. She hopes to bring her knowledge and experience in helping businesses start as well as her skills in working with people to support actionable conversations about economic opportunity for all citizens of the County.
Gopi Suri
Gopi Suri has been a Howard County resident for the past 12 years. His background is in information technology services and he has worked as Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officers for various small and midsize companies in a career spanning 20 years. He is an active member of Maryland Tech Council and Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) of Maryland and has mentored several technology startup companies. He is a passionate community leader and entrepreneur, who founded an IT services company and a non-profit organization in Howard County to solve sanitation challenges in developing and under developed countries. He is also a cofounder of Indian Origin Network of Howard County and promotes cultural and political connect with Indian origin community. Gopi also volunteers in several professional associations and helps find job opportunities for University of Maryland graduates and undergraduate students. He lives with his wife and two children that go to middle and high schools in Ellicott City.
Jason Jannati
Jason Jannati is a Columbia native and an entrepreneur in the clean tech space. Jason's goal is to redevelop real estate to produce clean power and clean food. Jason currently works with Power52 Energy Solutions with a mission to provide workforce training and job opportunities to "at risk" populations by way of developing clean energy assets. He enjoys people to work in the communities where these projects reside. Jason currently lives in Columbia with his wife Carly and is proud to raise his children in this community.
Jay Parekh
Jay Parekh has been a Howard County resident for 24 years and has worked in the County for last 33 years. He is a professional engineer with a background in land development and is currently President of KloudData, Inc., a small business in information technology field. Jay has been member of the Board of Directors for Howard County Economic Development, a Rotarian, and volunteer with number of other organizations to make Howard County a place to live and do business.
Kim Flowers
Kim Flowers is an Ellicott City resident, wife and mother of two, realtor, and President & CEO of Flowers Public Engagement & Consulting, LLC. Kim's prior experience includes serving as the Deputy Director of Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning and the Director of Recreation and Parks for Baltimore City and the District of Columbia. She is active in the Howard County community, serving as the Housing Chair for Howard County NAACP, delegate to the Howard County PTA Council, and member of the PTA at Northfield Elementary.
Larry Twele
Larry Twele has been a resident of Elkridge for over 20 years and is CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) where he leads the team responsible for economic development, business growth, and innovation strategy for the County. Before joining the HCEDA, he was the Director of the Carroll County Department of Economic Development and held leadership positions in the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.
Larry has served as the President of the Maryland Economic Development Association and the MEDA Foundation and where his focus was on furthering the nexus between economic development and economic opportunity for the state’s residents. Larry holds a Master's Degree of Business Administration from Loyola University, Maryland and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland. He earned Certified Economic Developer credentials in March 2009.
Marianne Brackney
Marianne Brackney has been a Howard County resident since 1992 and she is a well-known and highly regarded community advocate. Professionally, Marianne is an experienced federal employee and her expertise include Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) issues and limited English proficient communities. Marianne is very passionate about community service. As President of the Korean American Women’s Society, she motivates and mobilizes DMV area Korean/Asian American community leaders and members for civic engagement, ranging from citizenship drives, benefit education days, and career summit for college students and young professionals. She served as Vice Chair for the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and currently serves as a Commissioner for the Maryland Commission for Women. Marianne hopes that her unique background and expertise will provide a balanced approach to include culturally and linguistically sensitive AAPI community.
Paul Casey
Paul K. Casey has resided in Ellicott City since 1985. Paul retired from the law firm of Ballard Spahr LLP in 2015, where he was a partner for over 20 years and the Practice Co-Leader of the firm's Housing Group concentrating his practice in the area of mixed-finance affordable housing development. He was actively involved in hundreds of such transactions across the country, including representing the New York City Housing Authority in one of the largest public-private affordable housing partnerships ever undertaken resulting in the modernization of more than 14,000 public housing units. Mr. Casey served as a member of the HOPE VI Work Group, established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to advise HUD on the development of revised Total Development Cost Guidelines and the Cost Control and Safe Harbor Standards for Rental Mixed-Finance Development. Earlier in his legal career Paul was appointed Assistant Attorney General of Maryland and served as Counsel to the Maryland Community Development Administration and the Maryland Department of Economic and Community Development. During his years of practice, Paul served as a member of the Maryland Code Revision Commission, Housing Laws Subcommittee, on the board of the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, and on the Howard County Community Development Board. He also helped to establish the Columbia Downtown Housing Corporation and has served as its President since 2012. Paul has a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, a Master's Degree in Government from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Anselm College.
Maddy Halbach, PhD, NBCT
Dr. Maddy Halbach is the Academy of Finance instructor for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. For the past 15 years, Dr. Halbach has taught economics, business, and finance courses to high school students. She is recognized as the Maryland Financial Literacy Teacher of the Year for 2016 and the 2017 Teacher of the Year for Howard County. Dr. Halbach has written and taught a synchronous video program on financial literacy, co-written an online financial literacy course for the State of Maryland, and trained teachers nationwide on financial literacy courses. She has been a guest speaker for financial literacy scholarship awards, economic council events, and has presented at several national and state conferences on financial literacy. She believes “financial literacy will reduce the achievement and socio-economic gaps for students”. Dr. Halbach’s students have competed and won state and national competitions in personal finance, and regional stock market games, and state investwrite. Helping high school students become aware of financial literacy and implementing these skills is a passion that drives Dr. Halbach to work in her community. She volunteers at various financial literacy events in the county, and works with non-profit organizations to increase outreach in the area of financial literacy.
Jamie Brown
Press Release Introducing the Legislation for the EOP Task Force
Date | Task Force/Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 30, 2017 | Kick Off Meeting | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
December 11, 2017 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
January 22, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
February 12, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
February 26, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | - | Minutes | - |
February 28, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | - | Minutes | - |
March 5, 2018 | Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
March 12, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
March 12, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | |
March 27, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
March 27, 2018 | Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
March 28, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
April 9, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
April 9, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
April 9, 2018 | Public Hearing | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
April 23, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
April 24, 2018 | Education Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
April 26, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
May 7, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
May 15, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
May 21, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
May 29, 2018 | Education Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
May 31, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
June 4, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
June 11, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
June 26, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | |
June 26, 2018 | Education Subcommittee (Cancelled) | Agenda | - | - |
July 2, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | - | - |
July 9, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
July 9, 2018 | Public Hearing | Agenda | - | - |
July 16, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
July 23, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
July 31, 2018 | Education Subcomittee | Agenda | Meeting | - |
August 9, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
August 13, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | - |
August 28, 2018 | Education Subcommittee (Cancelled) | - | - | - |
September 6, 2018 | Economic Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
September 17, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | Video |
September 25, 2018 | Education Subcommittee (Cancelled) | - | - | - |
September 26, 2018 | Housing and Community Development Subcommittee (Cancelled) | - | - | - |
October 1, 2018 | Education Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
October 2, 2018 | Housing and Committee Development Subcommittee | Agenda | Minutes | - |
October 9, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | - |
October 9, 2018 | Public Hearing | - | - | - |
October 29, 2019 | EOP Report Drafting Committee | Agenda | - | - |
October 30, 2018 | Education Subcommittee (Cancelled) | - | - | - |
November 27, 2018 | EOP Report Drafting Committee | Agenda | - | - |
November 28, 2018 | - | Agenda | Notes | Audio |
December 10, 2018 | - | Agenda | Minutes | |
January 14, 2019 | Cancelled Meeting | Agenda | - | - |
February 11, 2019 | Cancelled Meeting | - | - | - |
March 11, 2019 | - | Agenda | - | - |
- Presentation to ACS
- Final Recommendations Report
- Maryland Multi-Housing Association Service Training Academy
- Walk Howard
- Complete Streets
- Immigrants Email
- Mental Health Report
- County High in Healthy Living
- EOPT Public Hearing Presentation - 10.9.18
- FIRN - Bridging Cultures, Building Community
- Pillars of Economic Success in HC WDAC Committee Recommendations
- Education & Workforce Development at Howard Community College - July 2018
- United Way Referrals from 7.1.17-5.24.18
- Kelly Cimino Handout - June 2018
- Affordable and Special Populations - June 2018
- Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families Presentation - June 2018
- Apprenticeships in Maryland Presentation - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) - June 2018
- Independent Electrical Contractors Joiin MD Apprenticeship Ambassador Program - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) - June 2018
- Rec and Parks Impact on Econ Growth - June 2018
- UMBC New Cyber Apprecticeship Program - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) - May 2018
- Howard County Chamber Transportation Discussion - May 2018
- MD Registered Apprenticeship Tax Credit - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) May 2018
- MD Apprenticeship 2.0 - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) May 2018
- MD Apprenticeship 2.0: Training that Works - (MD Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation) May 2018
- Building Registered Apprenticeship Programs - (U.S. Department of Labor) May 2018
- Columbia Workforce Center Presentation- (Howard County Office of Workforce Development) May 2018
- The Leadership Circle Profile Graphic - (Leadership Lab) May 2018
- Pillars of Economic Success in Howard County - May 2018
- Trump's welfare reform plan misses a key piece: Transportation - (The Washington Post) May 2018
- Howard EcoWorks and READY Program Presentation - April 2018
- Promoting Integration and Prosperity - (The Oak Park Regional Housing Center) April 2018
- Howard County NAACP Event Flyers - April 2018
- Fast-bus systems overtake light rail as the next big thing in urban transit - (The Wall Street Journal) April 2018
- The Business Monthly New Housing Initiative - April 2018
- Howard County Autism Housing Initiative - April 2018
- Howard County Arts Council Presentation - April 2018
- EOPT Public Hearing testimony from Making Change, Inc.- April 2018
- Howard County Autism Housing Initiative Presentation - April 2018
- EOPT Public Hearing Presentation - (EOP Task Force) April 2018
- Learning About Howard County: Population, the Economy & the Built Environment - (Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning) April 2018
- Counting Our Losses: The Hidden Cost to Marylanders of an Inadequate Child Care System - (Maryland Family Network) April 2018
- Spending Affordability Advisory Committee Report FY2019 - March 2018
- Columbia Housing Center FAQ - March 2018
- Transit in Howard County Presentation - (Hispanic Roundtable) March 2018
- Apprenticeship Presentation - (Maryland Department of Licensing, Labor and Regulations) March 2018
- Apprenticeship Brochure - (Maryland Department of Licensing, Labor and Regulations) March 2018
- Howard County Economy Overview - (Baltimore Metropolitan Council) March 2018
- Economy Responses to Task Force Questions - (Office of Workforce Development) March 2018
- Howard County Local Health Improvement Council Presentation -(Howard County Health Department) March 2018
- Howard County Department of Housing & Community Development Task Force Presentation - March 2018
- Howard County Economic Outlook Presentation - (Presentation to Spending Affordability Committee) February 2018
- HCEDA Subcommittee Presentation - (Howard County Economic Development Committee) February 2018
- ACS Materials - (Association of Community Services) February 2018
- United Way ALICE Report Presentation - (United Way of Central Maryland) February 2018
- ACS Self-Sufficiency Indicators Report Presentation - (Association of Community Services) February 2018
- Howard County Department of Housing & Community Development MIHU Report - January 2018
- Howard County Department of Housing & Community Development Director's Report - January 2018
- United Way ALICE Report Presentation - January 2018
- HCPSS Office of School Planning Presentation to Task Force - January 2018
- Howard County Office of Workforce Development Presentation - December 2017
- Baltimore Metropolitan Council Presentation - December 2017
- EBOC Report on CR181-2016 - August 2017
- Columbia Renews Commitment to Diversity - (American Planning Association) June 2017
- Is Your Child Showing Grit? School Report Cards Rate Students' Soft Skills - (Education Week) May 2017
- Regional Preference Programs - (Howard County Office of Purchasing) April 2017
- 2016 Maryland Disparity Study - (NERA Economic Consulting) February 2017
- Howard County Early Education Action Group Report - January 2017
- Affordable Child Care Report (ACS) - January 2017
- CR181-2016 Legislation - (Howard County Council) December 2016
- Baltimore Regional Plan for Sustainable Development - June 2015
- Working Parent Assistance Program - (THE WORKING PARENTS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND TRUST FUND Montgomery County, Maryland) November 2014
- Summary of Past Childhood Needs Assessments and Strategic Plans - (SOURCE NOT NOTED) June 2014
- City of Baltimore 2014 Disparity Study - (NERA Economic Consulting) March 2014
- 21st Century Community Learning Article - (Journal of Health & Human Services Administration) Summer 2011
- Early Childhood Strategic Plan - (The Howard County Early Childhood Strategic Planning Team, Local Children’s Board of Howard County) July 2003
- Howard County Child Care Task Force Final Report - (Howard County Child Care Task Force, Local Children’s Board ) July 2001