The MASSB Minute

Greetings, everyone! Our annual Fall Conference is quickly approaching, and I hope that many of you will seize this great opportunity to gather and learn together on October 16–17 at Howard County Community College for Rising to the Challenge: Strengthening Local Boards Through Advocacy. As in previous years, this is more than just a conference — it is our shared space for community volunteers, staff, and directors to share ideas, exchange experiences, and strengthen the statewide network of local boards working to lift lives in every community.

The program is packed with a wide range of opportunities ranging from expert panels on advocacy strategies to interactive workshops on legislative engagement and practical sessions to boost board visibility, fundraising, and impact. A highlight will be the keynote by Kathryn Marsh, a nationally recognized Special Victims Litigation Expert. I also encourage you to keep nominating your community project for the 2025 Lifting Lives Award.

Best,
Tony

We have a great line-up of advocacy experts scheduled to present at our October conference, including Keynote Speaker Kathryn Marsh. Ms. Marsh is a career prosecutor, receiving her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2002. For most of her career she has specialized in child abuse/child exploitation, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases, and has drafted legislation to help hold abusers accountable.

Since 2022, Ms. Marsh has been a Special Victims Litigation Expert for the U.S. Army, advising Special Trial Counsel on homicide, child abuse, sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases. Ms. Marsh believes in giving back to her community — she is the Chair of the Calvert County Commission for Women and sits on the Board of the Calvert Concept Charitable Corporation.

Awarded annually as part of MASSB's October conference, the Lifting Lives Award recognizes projects or initiatives that are innovative or impact the local community in a positive way. Awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place include a monetary allocation to the winning board's MASSB Foundation account of up to $1,500.

A Super Bowl Block Board is easy to do and a great FRIEND raiser, too! The model nets $1,000 in donations and provides several weeks of community visibility for your board and mission. The key to success is finding the right venue to host your fundraiser — look for a popular place (often a restaurant or bar) with a trustworthy manager and lots of customers.

Grants up to $2,500 are now available for local boards. The funds are intended to address community needs or kick-start larger initiatives for which boards lack funding. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.