FMA Education & Workforce Development Chair Penny Cantwell of Howard Bank, was named Volunteer of the Year by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. She will be honored during the 15th Annual Celebration of Philanthropy Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 20, at the Loews Annapolis Hotel.
“Penny has been a tremendous volunteer for our organization. Her tireless efforts over the last eight years are unmatched and have established the Fort Meade Alliance as a statewide leader in education and workforce initiatives,” FMA President Steve Tiller said. “Her determination, commitment and influence have, quite frankly, put the FMA on the map.”
Cantwell, who is also a member of the FMA Executive Committee, was instrumental in the creation of FMA’s Tech Mania program, which encourages high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields by providing hands-on demonstrations of the innovative technologies developed and used in workplaces across the region. The program is held twice each year, once in partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade and once at Towson University. Launched in 2008, Tech Mania reached its 2,000th student this year.
Since 2008, Cantwell has also led five regional workforce forums, bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia to o collaborate and create new initiatives that will help the region meet its future workforce needs. Four white papers have been published as a result of the Forums, and the FMA’s security clearance educations and awareness program, Project SCOPE, was launched to address a need identified during one of the Forums. This program has been distributed by the Maryland State Department of Education to every middle and high school statewide.
Cantwell has been deeply involved in Anne Arundel County as a volunteer for more than 30 years. In addition to serving on the FMA Executive Committee, she has served as Treasurer to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation Board and as Past President of the YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. In assassin, she has served in a variety of volunteer roles with Anne Arundel Public Schools, the Annapolis/Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, the Anne Arundel Workforce Investment Board, and the Rotary Club of West Anne Arundel County.
Join members of the FMA Board to congratulate Cantwell by attending the Nov. 20 luncheon. More details can be found online here.
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