Maryland Roundtable for Education Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) held its 25th Anniversary celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

At the event, the MBRT Board of Directors presented two awards that recognize innovative collaborations between employers and educators: George Arlotto, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent, received the inaugural June E. Streckfus Leadership in Education award; and Gloria Flach was presented with the inaugural Norman R. Augustine Leadership in Business Partnerships award.

Since 2014, Arlotto has served at the helm of the Anne Arundel County school systems, which represents approximately 81,000 students. During his tenure, he has helped to accelerate student and teacher development programs, including nearly 50 MBRT STEM classroom engagements. Flach, the Chief Operating Officer of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, was credited with encouraging employer engagement in public education in Maryland in her role as MBRT chair from 2013 to 2016.

Leaders from business, government and educational communities attended the anniversary celebration, which included guest speakers, retrospective videos and award presentations.

“Together in partnership, our vibrant statewide network of hundreds of trained workforce volunteers reached nearly 30,000 students last year,” said David Velazquez, President and CEO of Pepco Holdings and Chair of the MBRT Board of Directors. “These career interactions strengthen the mission of MBRT and mobilize employers in the state to enhance educational excellence.”

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon was the keynote speaker at the event. Salmon thanked business leaders for their continued support of the MBRT, which she said continues to provide students and educators with valuable resources. Salmon, who spent more than 30 years as an educator on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, was named local Superintendent of the Year in 2012.

In addition to three young professional and student presenters representing various perspectives of the STEM workforce pipeline, there were several distinguished guests in attendance including state elected officials Senator Bill Ferguson, Senator Jim Rosapepe and Delegate Stephen Lafferty.

“It is an honor and a real joy to convene such committed partners of our Maryland Business Roundtable for Education on this, our 25th anniversary,” said Brian Dulay, MBRT Executive Director. “Thanks to the significant, lasting contributions of dedicated businesses, government agencies, school leaders, teachers, students and parents, MBRT has spent the past quarter century helping to make Maryland a model of public education.”

Event sponsors include: Booz Allen Hamilton; Leidos; BGE; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; the Community College of Baltimore County; Northrop Grumman; Stevenson University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Pepco Holdings.