Fort Meade Commander is named Leader Honoree, 2021

Fort Meade Commander is named Leader Honoree, 2021

The Fort George G. Meade Garrison Commander was one of 23 community and business leaders nominated as a Leadership Anne Arundel 2021 New Leaders Honorees. LAA nominees were selected “based on commencing an accepted, appointed or elected leadership role that serves and/or impacts the Anne Arundel County Community since March of 2020.” 

Since taking command in August, 2020, Nyland has directed the helm of the second largest Army post in the United States through a period of national upheaval.

 “It’s an honor,” said Col. Christopher Nyland, Fort Meade garrison commander. “I’ve been garrison commander for about nine months now, all of which has been during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a challenge but at the same time inspirational, seeing how the community has come together to overcome the difficulties the pandemic presents. I appreciate being recognized in this way, but we call ourselves Team Meade for a reason. I’m proud to be a part of this team of professionals dedicated to mission assurance for our national security partners here on post.”

Nyland along with the Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Medical Detachment Commander, Col. Tracy Michael, have held weekly and now bi-weekly town halls to share the latest information about the pandemic with the more than 67,000 people who live and work on the fort. The town halls touch on everything from mask wearing, to child care and school requirements, as well as responding to questions about the gyms, the food court and other social events.

Part of Nyland’s effort was to establish a Recovery Review Board. Anyone who would like to host an event or meeting on the installation must present their plan before the review board to ensure the event is COVID safe. 

“Our intention at the Recovery Review Board is to find ways to make the request work,” said Nyland. “Collaborating with experts, like public health and safety professionals, is essential we like to allow the maximum amount of normalcy while protecting our people so that we can protect the vital national security missions.” 

Honorees were nominated by LAA Alumni and the community at large. Nominees do not have to be a graduate of a LAA program and were selected based on commencing an accepted, appointed or elected leadership role that serves and/or impacts the Anne Arundel County Community since March of 2020. The position can be held in a non-profit, government or for-profit organization.

According to LAA President & CEO Kris Valerio Shock, “LAA has a long tradition of celebrating individuals in our community stepping up to new leadership roles through the New Leaders Celebration. Following an unprecedented year of health, social, political and economic challenges, recognizing and supporting our community leaders is more important than ever.”

Each year, Fort Meade sends one or two selected civilian employees to attend LAAs intensive Flagship program. Participation in the program has strengthened the installation’s relationship with the business community while providing leadership training. 

“It was an amazing opportunity to really understand the ins and outs of the county, which is important for Fort Meade as a major organization in Anne Arundel County,” said Sherry Kuiper, Chief of Community Relations at Fort Meade and graduate of the Flagship 2020 class. “I have been able to take what I learned and the connections I made from Leadership Anne Arundel and directly use them to benefit the service members and families here at the fort in my role as the community relations chief.”

According to their website, Leadership Anne Arundel is a non-profit 501c3 organization founded in 1993, as a leadership training and networking institute in Anne Arundel County. The mission of LAA is to provide people of diverse backgrounds with the education, resources and networks necessary to become successful proactive leaders. LAA has over 1400 graduates from its four (4) core programs. LAA graduates serve in leadership positions in public sector, private sector and nonprofit organizations throughout the Baltimore-Washington metro area.

Among the honorees recognized by LLA is Kelly Anderson, director of Sarah’s House, an emergency shelter and supportive housing program which is located on Fort Meade. Sarah’s House is run by Catholic Charities and offers an array of support programs for families experiencing homelessness in Anne Arundel County. 

To see a complete list of honorees and information about the New Leaders Reception, visit the https://Leadershipaa.org.