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Qlarant President and Cambridge Resident Recognized at December 10 Ceremony

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Sandy Love, President Qlarant Integrity Solutions

Leadership Maryland announced today that Sandy Love, President of Qlarant, has completed the professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders. Leadership Maryland honored Ms. Love, a resident of Cambridge, and the entire Class of 2019 at its 27th annual graduation ceremony held December 10 at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.

Ms. Love was one of 50 applicants chosen by committee to complete Leadership Maryland’s eight-month hands-on learning program focused on the state’s most vital social, economic and environmental issues.

“As this year’s Leadership Maryland cohort completes its program, their journey as a graduate of our state’s finest organization of professionals begins,” said Leadership Maryland Board Chairman Dr. Memo F. Diriker ‘12, director of BEACON at Salisbury University. “Over the past eight months they have learned about our state, the critical issues it faces, and above all, themselves. On behalf of the Board, I congratulate each of them for completing this defining milestone and I look forward to seeing them apply these lessons to accomplish great things for our state.”

Leadership Maryland is open to senior-level executives with significant achievements in either their careers and/or their communities.

“This has been a tremendous experience,” says Ms. Love. “Qlarant has been a supporter of this program for many years and I have been inspired by the program”.

Ideal Leadership Maryland members have a desire to learn more about Maryland’s most critical issues and a personal commitment to be a force for positive change in their organizations, their communities, and their state.

About Leadership Maryland

Leadership Maryland is a professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders. Each year, as many as 52 diverse and accomplished executives from Maryland’s public and private sectors are selected to come together as a class for an eight-month hands-on learning program focused on the state’s most vital social, economic and environmental issues. The first Leadership Maryland class graduated in 1993, and the organization’s alumni network now consists of more than 1,100 leaders from all industries and regions of the state. To learn more, please call Leadership Maryland at 410-841-2101 or visit www.LeadershipMD.org or email Info@LeadershipMD.org.

About Qlarant:

Qlarant is a not-for-profit, nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse—improving program quality, and optimizing performance. The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Solutions are customized for state and federal agencies as well as commercial industries across the nation. The Qlarant Foundation— the mission arm of the organization—provides grants to services provided in underserved communities. Qlarant employs nearly 500 people and has a 45-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Qlarant is a licensed AgileCxO Transformation Partner.

If you would like more information, please contact Pat Boos at 410.819.3553/ boosp@qlarant.com or visit the website www.qlarant.com

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Maryland 2.0: Trappe has Found an Angel in Tom Mitchell

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Angel investors come in every shape and size but rarely do they come in the form of Tom Mitchell and Trappe, Maryland.

This small rural community some ten miles south of Easton off of Route 50 has a current population of 1,000 people, give or take. While it has had moments of prosperity, including the introduction of Mitchum’s fine dining restaurant (now closed) a few years ago, it finds itself most of the time getting lost as beachgoers drive by heading for Cambridge and Salisbury.

But for Tom Mitchell, Trappe has never been about the best possible return on investment. For him, it comes from a particular love of the community but also a unique devotion to his wife, Maria.

For the last ten years, Maria has battled Alzheimer’s Disease while Tom continued his successful career as an entrepreneur in several industries. Maria, who is 100% Greek, was always counted on to be the heart and soul of the Mitchell home, and Tom was eager to find a way to keep his wife’s passion for great food and natural warmth alive as she battles this cruel illness.

And so, without any experience in the restaurant business, other than his natural appetite and fondness for tasty libations, Tom embarked on a simple plan to turn the abandoned Mitchum’s back into a major center for fine dining. Using Maria’s favorite recipes, and his skill of making sound real estate deals, Mitchell found himself the owner of Momma Maria’s Bistro last April.

But, like all good stories, it didn’t just end with a tremendous new restaurant. As Tom started to invest in downtown Trappe, he saw an exceptional opportunity for even more investment. Quickly he took over the former bank building across the street to start Coffee Trappe, and has since purchased with at least five other commercial properties all within a stone’s throw away from Mamma Maria’s front door.

In short order, a restaurant project has now grown into a town project. Tom saw this as a way to keep Trappe’s small-town feel at a time when the population should grow significantly with the addition of the Lakeside community (which will eventually have five unique neighborhoods ) on the other side of Route 50.

The Spy has plans to cover the unique success story of Momma Maria’s as a new and hugely popular fine dining establishment under the management of chef Michael Quattrucci early next year but took our opportunity to talk to Tom about how one person, with passion and emotional investment, can truly save a little town.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Momma Maria’s please  go here.

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SCORE Mid-Shore Offering Business Mentoring Sessions at TCFL

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The SCORE Mid Shore Chapter is offering free business mentoring mini sessions at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton on the second Wednesday of every month from 11am to 2pm (lobby area).   The next mentoring opportunity is December 11, 2019.  2020 sessions will continue with same time and location.

SCORE Mid-Shore is a resource of the US Small Business Administration and is America’s premier small business mentoring organization.  SCORE Mid-Shore provides confidential and free business mentoring to the emerging and existing small business community of Easton and surrounding counties.  The Chapter is dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and assisting small businesses to achieve their goals.

No appointment is required for the free library sessions and are held on a drop-in basis.  Submit your business questions to the SCORE Mid-Shore representative on duty.  Additional meetings with SCORE Mid-Shore are free of charge and can be scheduled at the site with the mentor. Further free mentoring is also available by calling 877-572-0735 for a session at the local SCORE location at 101 Marlboro Ave., Suite 53 in Easton.

Visit the SCORE Mid-Shore website at “midshore.score.org.” Check out our mentors and try one of our webinars.

Qlarant Selected by IPRO to support QIN-QIO

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Qlarant CEO

Dr. Ron Forsythe, Jr., CEO of Qlarant

On November 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a five-year contract to IPRO to serve as a regional Quality Innovation Network – Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) under the recently launched 12th Statement of Work.  Qlarant has been chosen as a subcontractor to IPRO to support this important effort.

QIN-QIOs serving under the 12th Statement of Work will provide targeted assistance to nursing homes and communities with small and rural practices, those serving the most vulnerable populations, and those in need of customized quality improvement. Through this body of work, CMS is focusing on results, protecting taxpayer dollars, and most importantly, ensuring the safety and quality of care delivered to every Medicare beneficiary.

“We are pleased and grateful to be part of the IPRO QIN-QIO” says Dr. Ronald Forsythe, Jr., CEO of Qlarant. “Such important work will make a dramatic difference in our healthcare system and the many lives it affects.”

Under the award made this month by CMS  IPRO, working with Healthcentric Advisors and Qlarant, will direct Medicare quality improvement work in New York, New Jersey and Ohio; all six New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island); as well as Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

The IPRO and Qlarant teams will be responsible improving quality in poor-performing nursing homes, as well as small and rural communities and those serving vulnerable populations by:

– Improving Behavioral Health Outcomes – Including Opioid Misuse
– Increasing Patient Safety
– Increasing Chronic Disease Self-Management
– Increasing the Quality of Care Transitions
– Improving Nursing Home Quality

About Qlarant

Qlarant is a not-for-profit nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste & abuse, improving program quality, and optimizing performance.  The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Solutions are customized state and federal agencies as well as industries across the nation. The Qlarant Foundation is the mission arm of the organization and provides grants to services provided in underserved communities. Qlarant employs nearly 500 people and has a 45-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Qlarant is a licensed AgileCxO Transformation Partner www.qlarant.com

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here. 

Small Business Saturday Kicks Off the Holidays on November 30

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The Saturday after Thanksgiving marks the 10th annual Small Business Saturday. Easton’s locally owned retailers have partnered with Discover Easton to make November 30th a special treat for holiday shoppers.

Small Business Saturday supports the independently-owned businesses that create jobs and help local economies thrive. Discover Easton supports the Shop Small movement in Easton all year long and Small Business Saturday brings nationwide attention to the importance of supporting local merchants.

“For us, Small Business Saturday is a celebration of the work we do here in Easton every day.” Discover Easton Marketing and Events Coordinator Jeff Lankford said. “We encourage everybody to come out and show their support to their locally owned stores and to say thank you for being part of our community.”

Discover Easton will be downtown at Thompson Park with the Shop Small Welcome Station at 10 a.m. There you can find free Shop Small bags, promotional information, and all the things needed to plan out the shopping event. Drop by the table early for a special breakfast treat and coffee then enjoy music in the street as you stroll the downtown retail district.

You can also earn Moonlight Madness raffle tickets from our participating Easton retailers when you shop on Small Business Saturday. The Moonlight Madness Shopping Event is December 6 from 4-10 p.m. in downtown Easton. It’s a family-friendly event that includes pictures with Santa, prizes, music, entertainment, refreshments, and in-store events and giveaways. Raffle tickets earned November 1-December 6 enter you into the prize drawings on December 6 at 10 p.m. on Harrison Street. You could win gifts and prizes worth over $10,000, but you must be there for the drawing to win.

In addition to holiday shopping, the Festival of Trees opens November 30 at the Tidewater Inn. The festival has been an Easton tradition for 34 years with proceeds benefiting Talbot Hospice. Friends of Hospice will also present Carols by Candlelight and a Christmas tree lighting with Santa in front of the Tidewater Inn during Small Business Saturday, starting at 5 p.m.

For more information on Small Business Saturday and our other holiday events in Easton, please visit www.christmasineaston.com.

About Discover Easton: Discover Easton is a marketing, promotion and events non-profit organization operating as a member of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. The mission of Discover Easton is to enhance, promote and preserve the vitality of Easton’s independent merchants which benefit business owners, residents, and visitors; and to bring awareness to the Town’s historical roots and lifestyles. For more information regarding Discover Easton and its events, please visit www.discovereaston.com or email welcome@discovereaston.com. Stay connected to Discover Easton on social media: @discovereaston.

Easton Economic Development Corporation Welcomes New Board Member and Chairman

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Easton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) is served by an esteemed Board of Directors comprised of business leaders from a variety of industry sectors. Formed in 2013, EEDC was created to promote economic vitality, smart redevelopment, and business formation in Easton, MD, in order to foster a healthy quality of life for all generations. The Board has announced the appointment of new member Marilyn M. Neal and existing board member Lloyd (Scott) Beatty, Jr. as Chairman of the Board.

Scott Beatty has served as Shore Bancshares, Inc.’s President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2013 and as a director of the Company since 2000. Between 2011 and 2013, Beatty served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Shore Bancshares and between 2007 and 2013 as its Executive Vice President and COO. Prior to the merger of subsidiaries, CNB and The Talbot Bank of Easton, which formed Shore United Bank in July 2016, Beatty served as a director of the Talbot Bank and as a director of CNB. Beatty was also employed in various executive-level operating officer capacities. Prior to joining Shore Bancshares, Beatty was the Chief Operating Officer of Darby Overseas Investments, LP, a global private equity firm, and President of Darby Advisors, Inc., a privately held family investment business.  He also served as a practicing certified public accountant for 25 years and a principal in the accounting firm Beatty, Satchell & Company.

Lloyd (Scott) Beatty, Jr.

Tracy Ward, Executive Director of EEDC, comments, “We are extremely fortunate to have Scott Beatty take a leadership role with our organization.  His deep financial background, experience and knowledge of the Greater Easton area will strengthen our ability to drive economic vitality and foster a healthy quality of life for our citizens.”

Marilyn Neal is the Executive Director of Neighborhood Service Center, Inc. (NSC), the designated Community Action Agency for Talbot County.  In her position, Neal reviews the Self-Sufficiency Standard for hundreds of low-income Talbot County residents each year in an effort to ensure that the best resources are available to enable families and individuals to make progress toward real economic security. Since 2009, she has overseen millions in federal, state, local, and private funding to assist families to meet basic needs, with the amount varying by family composition.

Marilyn M. Neal

Under Neal’s leadership, NSC’s has continued to offer services that remove barriers to self-sufficiency by providing homelessness solutions, affordable housing, energy/utility assistance, after school care, food, and other emergency services.  Together with her staff of 20, she  directs and evaluates the effectiveness of NSC’s programs: Ridgeway Transitional Homeless Shelter; Webb’s Hope, a congregate living facility, several affordable housing units, Maryland Energy Assistance Program, Housing Solutions Program, Maryland Food Bank, After School and Summer Youth Program, Rapid Rehousing Program and the Emergency Services Program. ​Prior to becoming the Executive Director of NSC, Neal served as the organization’s Deputy Director.  She partners with various human service agencies to include her current roles as Vice-Chair of the Maryland Community Action Partnership (MCAP) and as a Member of the Talbot County Rotary Club.

“Marilyn’s tireless commitment to her vital work in our community will assist us in our Port Street and Easton Point redevelopment activities, ensuring that we build the necessary networks and opportunities for those in need. She will bring a unique perspective to our Board as we continue to look for ways to partner with citizens and community organizations,” states Ward.

Additional members of the EEDC Board of Directors are Herbert S. Miller, Chairman Emeritus; Amy Haines, Vice Chairman; Anthony P. Kern, Treasurer; Charles H. Thornton, Secretary; Ron Engle, Rabbi Peter E. Hyman, Rosalee S. Potter, John Trax, Mayor Robert C. Willey, Ann Harvey Yonkers, Matthew Peters, and Ted Bautz.

Easton Economic Development Corporation was launched in 2013 to drive economic vitality, smart redevelopment, and business creation in the historic Town of Easton, Maryland to foster a healthy quality of life for all generations. The EEDC works toward managing Easton’s continued growth as a diverse and healthy “smart town,” leading innovation where the land and water meet.

Spy Chat: Kay MacIntosh on Chestertown’s Arts District, Main Street, and Economic Vitality

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For better or worse, the term “economic development” is an exceptionally expansive expression. From promoting farmers’ markets to nanotechnology firms, almost every conceivable constituency in a town will have its own interpretation of its meaning.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that except for those brave souls who have those words in their job descriptions. Inevitably, residents and officeholders like to hold these folks accountable for every aspect related to a town’s future prosperity regardless of someone’s actual scope of work.

One of these courageous ones who are navigating community expectations is Chestertown’s Kay MacIntosh. Hired three years ago to help manage the rollout of the town’s new arts and entertainment district, Kay also has been tasked with re-establishing its Main Street program and coordinating the over $300,000 in grants raised by her office through various state programs to improve downtown.

The Spy sat down with Kay recently to understand more about her work, the projects that are the front-burner now, and her thoughts on the state of Chestertown’s economic development as we come to the end of 2019.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about Main Street and Chestertown’s Arts and Entertainment district, please go here.

Shore Leadership Hosts Leader Development Through Improv

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On Thursday, November 21, Shore Leadership is hosting an evening of networking and “fun-raising” for alumni and anyone interested in how to be a more effective leader. The program “Leader Development through Improv” will be held at Channel Marker, 8865 Glebe Drive in Easton. The evening begins with happy hour at 6:30 pm and the program starts at 7:00 pm.

Admission to this program is free. Donations to the Shore Leadership scholarship fund are welcome. Sponsors for the event are Campbell’s Lane Farm, Channel Marker, Easton Utilities, and Shore United Bank. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided. Bring your own beer and wine.

“Leader Development through Improv” features Dan Brown of Reflex Improv. Brown caught the improv bug while in college, performing in the school’s short-form and sketch program, acting in school and community plays, as well as writing, directing, and starring in many comedy short films. After moving to the Washington, DC area, he took a free workshop at Washington Improv Theater and fell in love with the joy and freedom of long-form improv. His approach to teaching is positive, encouraging, joyful, fast-paced, and, most of all, fun.

Brown teaches improv classes in Virginia and Maryland. He most recently added a class that meets in Easton. No acting experience is required.

Improv student Nancy Andrew, a Shore Leadership alumna and former chair of the board, says, “I’d been curious about trying improv for years. In 2018, I signed up for two of Dan’s Annapolis classes. He’s a great teacher! Improv, for me, is pure fun with some good life lessons that teach me to be more present, to listen, and to receive what’s given to me.”

Andrew adds, “I was thrilled when Dan agreed to lead a class on the Shore. When we launched the first Easton class, it was great to find some fellow Shore Leadership alumni in the group, laughing and learning with me.”

Photo: Dan Brown (seated, center) of Reflex Improv. Pictured with Brown are members of his Easton improve class: seated, Shore Leadership alumni Linda Mastro and Nancy Andrew; standing L-R, Dan Van Skiver, Steve Clyburn, and Jeremy Hillyard.

Many corporations have hired Brown to bring the improve experience into the work place. “The easiest way to get people to work together is to get them to play together first,” says Brown, whose team of instructors introduces improv to corporate work teams. “Using the concept of ‘Yes-And’ encourages co-workers to listen and look for agreement. Two other improv fundamentals – ‘I’ve got your back’ and making each other look good – also encourage team work in any situation.”

During this two-hour workshop Brown will introduce participants to the building blocks for creating improvisation scenes, including warm-ups to break down barriers and build camaraderie, exercises to inspire top-of-the-head thinking and creativity. Expect lots of laughter and lessons that can be easily applied to everyday situations at work and in other areas of life.

At this event Shore Leadership alumni will have an opportunity to reconnect and discuss ideas for extending the learning they began as colleagues in the “best class ever.” Members of the Shore Leadership board will be on hand to provide information and answer questions for anyone interested in the program.

The Shore Leadership Program offers executives, managers and leaders on Maryland’s Eastern Shore the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the issues and challenges facing our region. Led by a certified master coach, participants are guided through skill building activities and conversation to foster collaboration and problem solving. A measureable impact on the expansion of personal and professional networks among the class participants is an inevitable outcome. Programs are uniquely placed in one of the nine Shore counties to explore a particular theme and connect that theme to the leadership challenges.

Register for “Leader Development through Improv” by emailing shoreleadership@gmail.com. Include your name, phone number and email address.

Learn more about Dan Brown and Reflex Improv at www.refleximprov.com.

Shore United Bank Welcomes Branch Manager Lynn Hancock

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Lynn Hancock, Shore United Bank Branch Manager, Ocean City.

Shore United Bank is proud to announce that Lynn Hancock has joined the company as a Branch Manager. Lynn will be managing our new branch location in Ocean City, Maryland that is scheduled to open in February of 2020. Lynn joins Shore United Bank with prior experience in consumer and business banking and knowledge of the Ocean City market area.

“We are excited to have Lynn on our team. Her knowledge of banking and experience in the Ocean City market will be an asset to our expansion. She has a passion for helping customers reach their financial goals,” says Jennifer Joseph, Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Banking Officer.

“I am proud to work for a bank that truly cares about the community.  Shore United Bank offers on-the-go banking options with a focus on security, along with personalized service that you would expect from a local, community bank,” says Ms. Hancock.

Lynn resides in Ocean Pines, Maryland with her husband Todd and their two children, Katelyn and Ethan. Lynn enjoys crafting, baking and going to the beach with her family.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit ShoreUnitedBank.com.

Shore United Bank Launches New Online Financial Literacy Program

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Laura Heikes, Senior Vice President, Community & Government Relations Officer; Joyce Malik, Vice President, BSA Officer

Shore United Bank believes it is important to help local schools, senior centers, and other organizations by providing financial education through on-site programs and presentations. Year after year, their employees volunteer countless hours to provide credit counseling and financial literacy training to people of all ages. In 2016, Shore United Bank began a partnership with His Hope Ministries, a local homeless shelter in Denton, Maryland to teach a six-week course on financial literacy. This partnership, along with Shore United Bank’s involvement in other organizations, has inspired Shore United Bank to launch Money Management 101. This online program makes the financial information that their employees review with many organizations accessible to everyone – to help us all make wiser financial decisions.  Through careful planning, Shore United Bank has made every effort to present the information online in a brief, simple, and easily digestible manner to help consumers differentiate between needs and wants, establish a budget, understand how to establish or improve credit, prevent identity theft, avoid online scams, and more.  If you have friends or family members who could benefit from this new resource, please encourage them to check out the new online resource at shoreunitedbank.com/money-management-program.

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