Suite Prince George’s
A Great View Of Prince George’s County, Md
Meet Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller
Sistah Joy Takes A Bow
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
Mic Drop
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45 Hot Concerts In The DMV
Health: Medstar’s Heart, Luminis Health’s Vision; The Business Roundtable Reaches 20, Profiles: Dawn Medley, Aisha Braveboy, Meet Col. Todd Randolph, The Community Foundation Message & More
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TABLE OF In This Edition
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34. 8. Outlook
9. News Items Around the county 10. Heart Health: Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital’s cardiology program 12. Advertorial: The Community Foundation on Faith And Philanthropy 14. Air Boss: Col. Todd Randolph first African American to lead Joint Base Andrews
16. Profile: Lt. Gov Aruna Miller and why you should get to know her 18. Profile: FSC First’s President and CEO Dawn Medley
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41. Photo profile: Photographer Kent Ballard captured the celebration of iconic Senator Tommie Broadwater’s Lifetime Achievement event
22. Recognition: NAI Michael Celebrates 50 Years 24. Cover Story: Summer in the DMV. It doesn’t get any hotter than this. 30. Recognition: The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable celebrates 20 years
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34. Profile: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy and the unique initiatives her office brings to crime fighting 36. Health: Growth and expansion at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center wiill help new mothers and offer greater services for behavioral health patients.
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38. Legacy: The first poet laureate of Prince George’s County steps down but not before establishing a clear path for new literary masters SPRING/SUMMER 2023
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A Bigger, Greater Cause Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller Is Set to Implement the “Leave No One Behind” Strategy at the Executive Office Montgomery County was satisfying. Professionally and personally, she Her office is simple yet filled with a sufficient amount of responsibil- was thriving, and then she pressed the pause button. ity that she doesn’t take lightly. Her space is inviting and rather warm. Lt. Gov. Miller first connected with Gov. Moore when he launched There hangs a portrait of Harriet Tubman, an American abolitionist his first political campaign in 2021. She was no longer in the legislaand social activist, that was gifted to her by the U.S. Archives. Not ture and she was happy, but at the suggestion of her politically-savvy much furniture. Just enough. In fact, there are no signs that she ever friends, she was encouraged to meet him. With no agenda for the gets to enjoy the gold couch. Her day-to-day duties of being the first meeting and after a conversation that took place in Baltimore County woman of color to be sworn in as Maryland’s lieutenant governor are with Gov. Moore and his wife (Dawn), Lt. Gov. Miller and her husbusy, but she handles it beautifully and with grace. band (David) were inspired. “We look at each other and we go, ‘Wes On Jan. 18, 2023, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller made history as the nation’s Moore’s going to be the next governor of Maryland,’” she said. first South Asian woman to be elected state lieutenant governor and At an early age, Lt. Gov. Miller was focused on finding a place of her holds the second highest office of state for the first time in Maryland’s own. Later, as a child, she joined her family in the United States after 234-year history. Her job is not met without sacrifice and oftentimes, her father took a leap of faith and emigrated from South Asia with little to no reward is given. However, she the hopes of having a better life for his famdoes her job in public service with a heart ily. Not knowing English, she focused on PHOTO: AMIR STOUDAMIRE of gratitude. excelling and embracing her community of Aware of the opportunities and those educators who poured into her and helped who paved the way for a woman of color her adjust to her new life. Politics were not to walk through the doors of the oldest discussed at home. Her interest peaked the U.S. state capitol (dating back to 1772), year she became a U.S. citizen and voted. she doesn’t take it lightly. The historic “I went and voted and I was so excited. I building holds power and tells stories of remember going into the polling booth and many who sacrificed." I never thought I’d crying and thinking, ‘Wow! This is what see somebody that looked like me in this being an American is now finally,’” she said. Miller reviews The Suite with writer Tiffany Young. role,” Miller said. “It is very gratifying to From there, she began volunteering for the know that.” Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and became a Having spent most of her life working out the details of fitting into precinct official. spaces not made for her, Lt. Gov. Miller now holds power that she During the earlier days of the Moore-Miller campaign, Lt. Gov. never imagined. But she always worked hard to get to a place where she Miller spent a significant amount of time in Prince George’s County, belonged. It’s the campaign that she and Maryland’s Governor, Wes nestled at the eastern border of Washington, D.C.; it’s the secondMoore, ran on. The idea is to “leave no one behind” and to work to most populous county in Maryland (Montgomery County has the make sure Marylanders have every opportunity afforded to them. largest). The pride of the people is what she remembers most. The “That’s what it’s always been about. How can we make sure that peo- excitement from the community as she and Gov. Moore started enterple aren’t left behind, that they know that they belong in every space ing rooms. “I absolutely loved the authenticity, the warmness, the that they walk into?” she said. Having worked in local government for friendliness that existed during the polling sites as we traveled through under a decade before her transition to the role she holds now, her [Prince George’s County],” she said. position has served her well. Serving as a member of the Maryland What Lt. Gov. Miller brings to the executive office is a compass that House of Delegates representing District 15, Montgomery County is filled with experience and compassion. She’s had to navigate life not from 2011 until 2019, she understood the foundation to serve the always knowing if she would be accepted but having faith that she is public. doing it for a bigger cause that has gotten her through. Her biggest “That’s my calling in life, to help as many people as I can. None of role, next to her unique day job, is being a mother. that has changed. That’s always been the core,” Miller said. “I not only get to be an implementer, but as a mother, I have this By all accounts, she entered a space where she took a job she never incredible opportunity to raise three beautiful daughters,” she said. dreamed of. The life she created for herself and her family in By Tiffany Young // PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMIR STOUDAMIRE
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New Dawn: A Fresh FSC First CEO Dawn Medley Aims To Take The Business Support Agency To New Heights–And She’s Already Begun Making It Happen
By Raoul Dennis, Katrina Townsend And D.A. Phillips
another million that should become available by the end of August. We’re going to provide that to businesses who may possiDawn Medley, President and CEO of bly be underbanked, underrepresented and FSC First, an innovative business financing underserved. agency, sat down with Prince George’s One thing we notice as we go about the Suite Magazine in a discussion about the day-to-day business of lending, we don’t future of FSC First. Medley, with 20 years just focus on the applications that get of experience with public and private fundfunded. ing programs, took over as president in We focus also on the ones that didn’t January. PGS: What else is on the near horizon for because if businesses didn’t need the FSC? money, they wouldn’t have applied. We The interview is presented here in a Q&A. Medley: With over $40 million to deploy don’t want to forget about those businesses. in available financing right now, what’s new We want to get them prepared to borrow. PGS: How is your start going as the new on the horizon is a couple of new pro- In the past, we’ve not really had a formalCEO? grams. We are an SBA-designated CDC ized path for them. Medley: I promised my board of directors and a U.S. Treasury designated CDFI. As We may refer them to a resource partner, in the first 90 days of being CEO that I such, we’re able to provide our lending and but we noticed that it was difficult or chalwould deliver an online platform that servicing expertise to other municipalities lenging for the businesses to assimilate that would enable businesses to receive a and other institutions, and other organiza- information they received, apply it to their response to their loan application immedi- tions. So we are expanding those lender loan package, and then be able to come ately. We had an online application, but it service provider services to other organiza- back to FSC for financing. In following up would take about five days in loan intake tions and municipalities who may not have with them and again listening to what the review, and sometimes weeks for feedback, the back office underwriters, portfolio businesses want; we developed a business depending on how complicated the request managers and loan origination teams. education and technical assistance prowas and the amount of the loan request. We’ve done this successfully over the past gram. But now through our Level Up proNow, we’ve built a Fintech platform where 10 years or so. It has been 10+ years [that gram, businesses can receive the coaching, a business owner can submit their applica- we have provided such services] for Prince mentoring, training and education they tion and receive an immediate response for George’s County, for the City of Bowie need to enhance business acumen and approval. Fintech is financial technology and the City of Mt. Rainier. We are also a achieve business success. that provides an interactive experience. state fund manager for Maryland’s VLT What we’ve heard from our businesses is Fund. So I guess the word is out. We are PGS: Can you tell us a little bit about yourthat they want a rapid and real time approached weekly by other institutions. self? response to their online application. That One of our newest programs, sponsored Medley: Sure. I’ve got over 20 years of immediate feedback on what was submit- by the University of Maryland Medical experience both in public and private ted was something business owners Systems, is a program called the financing. In my career, I’ve developed, requested, and so we built it for them. We Healthcare Capital Fund where we’re pro- implemented, and managed programs and delivered this new platform in my first 90 viding financing of up to $50,000 to busi- operations in several funding sectors like days. nesses who are in the healthcare and well- commercial banking, and economic develness industry or for businesses that support opment, small business financing with a PGS: Was this technology not available in those industries. specialty in CDFI, CDCs, and co-ops and the immediate or recent past? We’re also working on another new pro- green energy lending. I’m a subject matter Medley: It’s something that people may be gram. We haven’t even named it yet but it’s expert in the SBA’s 504 and 7(a) loan guar18.
familiar with in other Fintech companies like Onboard, Bluevine and Kabbage. What we provided was not just immediate response to the business owner, but also on our side of the interface, our underwriters can immediately see the disposition of that file. It’s been very successful thus far. The system is operating as expected.
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h Start At FSC First
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Celebration In Platinum The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable Meets 20 Year Milestone With A Vision for The Future By Raoul Dennis with Kristina Townsend
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMIR STOUDAMIRE AND RAOUL DENNIS VIEW CELEBRATION PHOTOS GO TO www.flickr.com/photos/princegeorgessuite/albums
ver 160 influential VIP guests from county, state, federal, business, first response and military walks gathered at MGM National Harbor’s Bellagio Ballroom May 11 to celebrate the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable’s 20th anniversary. See photos at www.flickr.com/photos/princegeorgessuite/albums. Led by Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable Founder, President and CEO M.H. Jim Estepp and Chair Michael Chiaramonte, the business advocacy organization gave award presentations to the Hon. Sheila Tillerson Adams and Dr. Monica Goldson. “We were so honored to host a veritable Who’s Who of leaders from government and the community at MGM for our recent 20th Anniversary Celebration,” said Estepp, who’s also founder of the Andrews Business & Community Alliance, a bridge building organization linking local businesses to Joint Base Andrews. “The success of the organization can be measured by its growth; the value our elected officials and others place on the work we do and the actual improvements we have observed in county resident’s overall Quality of Life. During the next 20 years, we expect to work tirelessly to recruit more young members, enhance our technology and outreach and continue our support for reductions in crime and greater access to quality education and housing among other endeavors. With our incredible members and the community working together, nothing is impossible. God Bless you all.” Estepp’s message was echoed by Michael Chiaramonte, the current chairman of the board. “I was so pleased to see the community celebrate Jim Estepp for forming the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable 20 years ago,” Chiaramonte said. “Jim had the vision to form a different kind of organization–one that includes in its membership all of the elements of a well-functioning community.” The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable is recognized as one of the most influential, non-partisan business groups in Maryland. The GPGBR is “a non-profit, business alliance of chief executives… composed of concerned and active business leaders from the county and region, whose companies employ nearly 60,000 people.” It hosts the annual State of the County Address. The GPGBR also founded and publishes the annual Quality of Life Index, a demographics and research guide that illuminates the social and economic status of the 30.
county. The Roundtable’s members routinely coordinate support for various diverse organizations and initiatives that elevate the county. GPGBR also created the Andrews Business & Community Alliance, a county based bridging platform between the county community and Joint Base Andrews. It “is a means to aid in impacting the lives of the men and women who serve our nation in the United States Air Force and all of our Armed Services,” according to the GPGBR site. Tillerson Adams was one of many who reflected on the Roundtable’s impact. “Well, 20 years of the business community coming together in Prince George’s County is significant when you look at where we were 20 years ago and where we are now,” she said. “Twenty years ago, there was no MGM. Twenty years ago, the number of businesses in this county did not exist. Twenty years ago, the number of people in business who have the resources they have today didn’t exist. This is significant.” Tillerson Adams is the first African American woman to serve as Chief and Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. Her husband, Bowie Mayor Tim Adams, was proud that she was being honored at the occasion: “When we talk about trailblazers, we have to realize trailblazers aren’t about people who are just the first. It’s about people who do things, and they may be the first, but they show you how it should be done, and they leave that legacy and that foundation for us to continue. With my wife being honored today, I appreciate that the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable is willing to do that. More importantly, I’m honored to be able to call her my wife.” Of course, he had his own thoughts as to why he believes the occasion so important: “Well, I think it’s wonderful to be able to be here celebrating 20 years of the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable. The real key to this is about us working together where you bring business, and you bring the community and community leaders together. I think this has a great foundation and it’s something that has been built to last. What we’ve got to do is make sure we keep getting the input from those who matter–leaders who talk to the people who really understand the grassroots as well as the glass ceiling.” Words Of Congratulations From The County Executive
“I have to commend Jim Estepp for his tremendous leadership. Certainly, we want to congratulate the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable on 20 amazing years,” said Prince George’s County
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ALL PHOTOS RAOUL DENNIS AND AMIR STOUDAMIRE
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Dawn Ridley (center) president of LHDCMC Foundation is all smiles and joined by Gary Michael (at right) with guests Tony Perez of LS Perez Consulting (far left) and CEO of Luminis Health Tori Bayless (far right) during the revitalized annual golf tournament fundraiser held in June at The Country Club At Woodmore.
A New Operating Procedure Luminis Health President Leaders Richmond And Ridley Discuss New Behavioral Medical Center, Womens Health And Expansion of Services By Kartrina Townsend
Leaders at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) have taken on a mission to bring better and easily accessible health care to Prince George’s County by opening its new Behavioral Medical Center. The center opened last fall, providing a range of behavioral health services, from urgent care to hospitalization to therapy. “We opened a 16-bed adult in-patient psychiatric unit in March, and that will round out our complement of behavioral health services on our Lanham campus here at Luminis health Doctors Community Medical Center,” said President of Luminis Health Deneen Richmond. The staffing of the center includes a diverse array of social, medical and mental professionals ranging from drug counselors to psychologists. “It’s a multi-disciplinary team,” she said. “To be able to provide that most appropriate level of care that a person needs.” But one of the biggest concerns driving the changes at Luminis Health is care for women, specifically obstetrical care. Not many women stay in Prince George’s County to have their 36.
children, Richmond says and this is an issue that Luminis hopes to change. “Currently, 8 out of 10 moms leave the county to deliver their babies, and that’s not good,” Richmond said. “We have women who don’t have easy access when you think about everything from that pre-conception period when you want to make sure your health is at its best, all the way through the postpartum period after you’ve had your baby, there’s a lot of services that are needed.” This is such a life and death issue that aligns with one of our bold goals of Vision 2030, Luminis Health’s 10-year strategic plan. The goal is to eliminate maternal and infant mortality. In Prince George’s County, the maternal mortality rate for Black women is 50 percent higher than the national average, according to Justin McLeod, a Luminis spokesperson. Expansion at Luminis is ongoing. The hospital has submitted the required documents to grow adiditional faciilities at the Lanham campus. It secured $12 million in funding at the state level and Luminis leaders were awaiting the green light for a Fall 2023 start. To accomplish much of the Luminis vision, Dawn Ridley is president of the LHDCMC SPRING/SUMMER 2023
Foundation. Ridley led in reinstating the hospital’s annual golf fundraiser at the Country Club at Woodmore in June. “It’s great fellowship but it’s also a great way for us to raise money for these focus issues: behavorial health, women’s health, community health.” LHDCMC says it exceeded goals. The work is paying off. Recently, Luminis Health was awarded the CEO Connection Economic Justice Award for the diverse workforce within its health system. “We are very proud of the fact that we’ve had an ongoing focus on what we frequently refer to as our JEDI journey, and JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion. And so just recently, we received an external recognition for the work that we’re doing in that space,” said Richmond. “We’re knocking it out of the park with our focus around our workforce diversity,” Richmond says. “The organization, you could say is run by women. Three out of our top four positions–our CEO and the three presidents–are women. So very, very proud of that.” Read full story at www.pgsuite.com. See video of the inerview at Suite TV-YOUTUBE. PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE
President of the LHDCMC Foundation Dawn Ridley (standing) with LHDCMC President and CEO Deneen Richmond PHOTO: RAOUL DENNIS
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