Summits

Maryland Civic Engagement Summit

Dates: Saturday, November 8, 2025

Time: 10am - 2pm

Location: Henderson Hopkins School2100 Ashland Ave,Baltimore, MD 21205

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What This Is

 

Step into your power. Lead with purpose. Build what matters.

 

Across Maryland and the country, we are navigating a difficult moment in our shared history. But even in uncertain times, one thing remains clear: when values-driven people step up and lead, our communities are stronger, more just, and more hopeful.

The Maryland Civic Engagement Summit is a powerful gathering of individuals committed to advancing equity through public leadership. Whether you’re ready to launch your campaign, deepen your civic impact, or support values-aligned leaders, this summit is designed to equip you with the tools, relationships, and clarity to take your next step.

Through hands-on workshops—including sessions on field engagement, power mapping, policy careers, and elected leadership—you’ll gain practical strategies to create change where it matters most: in your own community.

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Keynote Speaker

 

Comptroller Brooke Lierman


We are honored to welcome Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman as our keynote speaker. A trailblazing public servant and lifelong advocate for equity, Comptroller Lierman made history in 2022 as the first woman independently elected to one of Maryland’s statewide constitutional offices and the first woman to serve as Comptroller.

A civil rights attorney and former State Delegate representing Baltimore City, she brings a powerful perspective on how principled leadership, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement can work together to advance justice and opportunity for all Marylanders. Her commitment to making government work better for people—especially those historically left out—embodies the very heart of this summit.


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Nominate a Leader for the 2025 Omari Todd Leadership Awards

 

Deadline to nominate: September 12, 2025

Help us honor extraordinary leadership. The North Star Award recognizes a standout LEE member advancing equity through public leadership. The Constellation Award celebrates a group or organization of LEE members making a powerful collective impact.

Named for Omari Todd, a visionary who inspired others to step into their purpose, these awards honor the kind of leadership our communities need now.

Takes 5 minutes to complete. You’ll share who they are, what they’ve done, and why they lead with equity.

  • Nominate an Individual Leader
  • Nominate a Member-Led Organization

Know someone who inspires others to act? Nominate them today.

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Agenda

 

Exploring Elected Leadership
with Brandon Best, Director of National Candidate Recruitment, LEE

Are you called to “do something” greater, but not quite sure what that is yet? This session explores a leadership pathway that remains underrepresented among women: elected office.

Participants will assess the leadership landscape in their local communities, explore whether there’s a seat at the table for them, and learn about LEE’s robust supports for members interested in running. You’ll also hear directly from LEE members who have run—and won—with LEE’s elected leadership support.


Power Moves: Power Mapping for Influence
with Jemila Mitchell, Director of Member Engagement – Atlanta & Celeste Perilla, Director of Member Engagement – Baltimore

In order to create lasting change in Maryland, we must first understand how power operates.

In this workshop, we’ll ground ourselves in our own relationships with power, then tap into our existing networks to build collective power maps of Baltimore and Maryland. You’ll leave feeling empowered to harness your own power—and align it with others’—in your change-making endeavors.


Introduction to Policy and Advocacy Careers
with Sandy Brown, Director of Partnerships and Coaching

Curious about a career in advocacy or public policy? This session offers a practical introduction to the work of policy and advocacy through the lens of fellows who’ve made an impact in local government and organizations.

You’ll gain clarity on different roles and pathways, reflect on your personal goals, and walk away with tools to navigate your local policy landscape. This session is ideal for those considering a 2026 policy fellowship or future work in advocacy.

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What You'll Gain

 

The 2025 Summit is designed to help you grow your civic impact through hands-on, practical learning. Our workshops are built around:

  • Field engagement and campaign tactics
  • Power mapping and strategy development
  • Elected leadership readiness
  • Grassroots organizing and advocacy

Full agenda and workshop line-up coming soon.

Want a preview? Last year’s sessions covered everything from relational organizing to voter registration, campaign strategy, youth civic engagement, and Maryland education funding.

Get updates when the agenda is live — Join our email list

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Facilitators

 

Brandon Best
Director of National Candidate Recruitment at LEE

Brandon Best is an educator turned policy maker and political strategist with a profound commitment to shaping the future of public policy through education and civic engagement. His journey began in the classroom, where he cultivated a passion for empowering young minds, an experience that has profoundly influenced his approach to policy and reform. Transitioning from education to the political arena, where he now serves on the DC State Board of Education, Brandon has adeptly applied his teaching acumen to mentor political aspirants, equipping them with the skills necessary to effect meaningful change across various levels of government in the United States.


Sandy Brown
Director, Partnerships and Coaching

Sandy has spent her career in either politics or education, and in the ideal positions, doing a combination of both. She is excited to help the next generation of policy and advocacy leaders for educational equity realize their goals. Sandy has more than a decade of experience in the classroom, having taught English in Chihuahua, Mexico; government and economics in McAllen, Texas; and, most recently, environmental education in West Virginia and various national parks. Prior to that she served as Vice President of Government Affairs at Teach For America; Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), and as a legislative assistant for Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.


Celeste Perilla
Director of Regional Impact for Maryland, LEE

Celeste Perilla is a social worker in the tradition of Barbara Mikulski who’s spent her career focused on equity and inclusive community engagement. Early in her career, Celeste served as a labor organizer with SEIU and later as a case manager to older adults in West Baltimore. These experiences proximate to issues of inequity, coupled with continuous grassroots political campaigning & later campaign management, laid the foundation for Celeste’s entry into education equity work with Teach for America and later with Leadership with Educational Equity.

Celeste is the Director of Regional Impact for Maryland for LEE. As a graduate of Baltimore City Public Schools, her work centers around building community capacity, emphasizing the vital role of leaders of color and women to positively impact community outcomes in and around Maryland. She has supported and recruited more than 20 LEE members to run for political office in Maryland. She supports the leadership journeys of LEE members all across the state.