b'From the Board Chair and Vice ChairCongratulations to theLeadership Maryland Class of 2023! Nine months ago, you decided to go on a journey of exploration, self-reflection, and growth. You were brave enough to become a stranger in your own backyard. You represented different corners of Maryland. Yet, your backgrounds, unique perspectives, lived experiences and desires blended together to create a beautiful tapestry of art that will inspire our State for years to come.Unlike previous classes to embark on this journey, this group had a greater degree of diversity, both in culture and ethnicity. There was also an evenly balanced selection from government, nonprofit and the public sectors.Results from the Myers-Briggs assessment were most intriguing. The two categories most common among the class were ESTJ, God, help me not to run everything, and ENTJ, God, help me to slow down.You built a strong bond as a class that will carry This personality diversity made for some anxious discussion with David and Renee asyou individually and they planned for a class that wouldtry to run everything, or rush through all of it as fast as possible, or find it difficult to follow procedures, or want everything in writing, or have acollectively, personally and difficult time focusing on anythingand so on. professionallythrough It was evident from the first session of the orientation retreat, that every individual in thisall the ups and downs and class year was committed to making 2023 The Best Class Ever! In the Idle Wish andeverything in between that we Intriguing Fact exercise, there was an immediate bond of trust as you shared personalall experience as leaders.stories with individuals that, up until that time, were perfect strangers. You dramatically accelerated the transition to the core purpose of the Leadership Maryland program,Kenneth L. Ken Brannan 05 (LM)defining and epitomizing the differences between success and significance. You built a2023 Board Chairstrong bond as a class that will carry you individually and collectively, personally and professionallythrough all the ups and downs and everything in between that we all experience as leaders. And now you are joining the larger Leadership Maryland family who share similar values of self-discovery, growth, and a commitment to bettering our society through collective impact.This is your link to every other Leadership Maryland graduate in our 30-year history. It is profoundly expressed in a quote shared by fellow member of your Class of 2023:David Orr once said, the plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more Peacemakers, Healers, Restorers, Storytellers, and Lovers of every kind. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. These qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.Yours in Leadership,Kenneth L. Ken Brannan 05 (LM)Jean C. Accius, Ph.D. 14 (LM)2023 Board Chair2023 Board Vice ChairNow you are joining the larger Leadership Maryland family who share similar values of self-discovery, growth, and a commitment to bettering our society through collective impact.Jean C. Accius, Ph.D. 14 (LM)2023 Board Vice Chair4 Leadership Maryland 2023'