Leadership Development

GP Strategies Corp., a global business consulting company based in Elkridge, has agreed to buy BlessingWhite, a Princeton, N.J., company that offers employee leadership training, the companies have announced. The roughly $10 million acquisition should be complete within a month, GP Strategies said in a statement Friday. GP Strategies expects the acquisition to add to earnings per share in 2013, the company said. Last year, BlessingWhite had revenue of more than $13 million, GP Strategies said.

Unimpressed with the elementary school in her Baltimore neighborhood, Bobbi Macdonald set out to create her own. She founded the City Neighborhoods Foundation in 2003, the year her oldest daughter started kindergarten and the state of Maryland began allowing charter schools. Ten years later, the nonprofit is running three schools: City Neighbors Charter School, City Neighbors Hamilton and City Neighbors High School. All are known for student engagement and attendance rates that top 90 percent.

The Maryland men's basketball team recently participated in two-day training session with members from The Program, a team building and leadership development company. Led by a former Navy SEAL, the Terps were put through physical and mental exercises intended to facilitate teamwork and communication. Check out the video below, courtesy of the Maryland athletic department.

Maravene Loeschke has the full support of the Towson University Foundation, Inc.'s board of directors. In her role as president of Towson University, she is required to ensure that the school is compliant with all federal laws and fiscally responsible academically as well as athletically. These decisions are difficult and sometimes very painful. As stewards of the philanthropic funds coming into the university, the board is responsible for the investment, management and use of those funds and has an obligation to ensure that funds are administered properly and compliant with all laws in the furtherance of the mission of Towson University.

Carolyn E. Harris, a retired systems analyst, choir member and longtime community volunteer, died July 27 of bone cancer. The Northwood resident was 52. Born Carolyn Johnson in Phoenix, Baltimore County, she moved to the city with her family as a teen-ager and graduated from Northwestern High School in 1968. She went on to work in the banking industry for 28 years as a systems analyst until illness forced her to leave her job at Bank of America. An active community volunteer for more than two decades, Mrs. Harris served as treasurer of the Perring Loch Community Association for more than 10 years.

The Rev. Vernon N. Dobson, who played a pivotal role in the struggle for civil rights in Baltimore during the 1950s and 1960s, first came to historic Union Baptist Church as assistant pastor in 1958, and then was pastor for 39 years, until retiring last year. "I'm doing a little writing now, and I still preach at different churches several times a month," said Dobson, 84, the other day. He said he keeps busy with a number of organizations, including BUILD - Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development - a church-based social action group, of which he was a founder.

Maravene Loeschke has the full support of the Towson University Foundation, Inc.'s board of directors. In her role as president of Towson University, she is required to ensure that the school is compliant with all federal laws and fiscally responsible academically as well as athletically. These decisions are difficult and sometimes very painful. As stewards of the philanthropic funds coming into the university, the board is responsible for the investment, management and use of those funds and has an obligation to ensure that funds are administered properly and compliant with all laws in the furtherance of the mission of Towson University.

Maryland schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick challenged principals yesterday to become leaders - not managers - who can develop and support effective teachers to accelerate student achievement. Speaking to 120 elementary, middle and high school principals at the fifth annual Maryland Principals' Academy, Grasmick emphasized a school leader's role in meeting the learning needs of all children. "Teaching is a science done artfully," she told them. "You are the leaders who will make that happen every day."

The Towson University Board of Visitors fully supports President Maravene Loeschke and her leadership of the University ("Franchot goes too far" April 20). President Loeschke has taken the responsible approach to ensure that Towson athletics are fiscally responsible, compliant with federal Title IX law and competitive in the NCAA Colonial Athletic Association, Division 1 athletic conference. The Board of Visitors is a service and advisory organization of Towson University established to provide advice to the president.

An influential Baltimore citizens group is asking city officials to use more of the city's budget surplus to promote after-school programs for children. The group, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), is lobbying for $5.9 million of the surplus to be earmarked for in-school programs and community-based youth programs. So far, city leaders have said they will set aside $3.4 million for in-school programs. Mayor Martin O'Malley has said a large portion of the $59 million surplus needs to be used to cover overspending by some city agencies.

The Towson University Board of Visitors fully supports President Maravene Loeschke and her leadership of the University ("Franchot goes too far" April 20). President Loeschke has taken the responsible approach to ensure that Towson athletics are fiscally responsible, compliant with federal Title IX law and competitive in the NCAA Colonial Athletic Association, Division 1 athletic conference. The Board of Visitors is a service and advisory organization of Towson University established to provide advice to the president.

Wichita Wings at Blast When: Saturday night, 7:35 p.m. Site: 1st Mariner Arena Video: mislnation.com Outlook: A four-game winning streak has the Blast (19-5) only a half-game behind the first-place Milwaukee Wave (17-2) as the Major Indoor Soccer League regular season winds down. After Saturday night's game against the Wings (7-14), the Blast will end its season at home against the Wave next Saturday in a game that could decide first place and the top seed in the playoffs.

The Maryland men's basketball team recently participated in two-day training session with members from The Program, a team building and leadership development company. Led by a former Navy SEAL, the Terps were put through physical and mental exercises intended to facilitate teamwork and communication. Check out the video below, courtesy of the Maryland athletic department.

GP Strategies Corp., a global business consulting company based in Elkridge, has agreed to buy BlessingWhite, a Princeton, N.J., company that offers employee leadership training, the companies have announced. The roughly $10 million acquisition should be complete within a month, GP Strategies said in a statement Friday. GP Strategies expects the acquisition to add to earnings per share in 2013, the company said. Last year, BlessingWhite had revenue of more than $13 million, GP Strategies said.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's administration is asking Baltimore's City Council to award a hefty tax break to a long-stalled west-side development project. Under legislation introduced by the administration, apartments to be built as part of the "Superblock" project near Lexington and Howard streets would receive a deep discount on property taxes for 20 years. City officials said it would not be feasible for the developers to build the 269-unit apartment building and 650-space underground garage without a tax incentive.

Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels told the Baltimore Development Corp. board Thursday that the academic powerhouse has a moral obligation to "share our bounty" with the city. Daniels said that he sees Hopkins students, faculty and staff as privileged and that each has a responsibility to help revitalize Baltimore by addressing homelessness, preparing children for good jobs, ending violence and reversing significant health problems. "You can't sequester our institutions from the community," Daniels told the development board at its monthly meeting.

Baltimore activists from neighborhoods sinking under violence sat down with police commanders yesterday, looking for guarantees that the city will change the way police officers fight crime."

Teacher workshops on environment set at Patuxent refuge The Patuxent Research Refuge will offer workshops for teachers June 21-28 at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Laurel. The workshops will provide interdisciplinary curricula and activities for grades kindergarten through 12. Subjects will include wildlife art, hands-on habitat assessment, ecological concepts and other activities that teachers can use to teach environmental concepts. Some MSDE credits may be available. The cost is $5. The visitor center, a facility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is off Powder Mill Road, between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 197. Free workshops will be offered to camp counselors, day care providers and youth leaders to help them plan day trips to the visitor center.

About 400 people turned out last night to demand that state lawmakers make education off-limits in budget cuts needed to close the shortfall. The rally at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Annapolis drew principals, teachers, parents, children and city schools chief Andr?s Alonso. The rally was organized by the advocacy group Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) and its sister organizations: Action In Montgomery (AIM) and People Acting Together in Howard (PATH). The three groups announced the formation of a new organizing network, the Maryland Industrial Areas Foundation.

Anne Arundel may reduce builders' impact fees In an effort to stimulate the construction business sector, Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold announced yesterday that he will propose an immediate, temporary reduction in economic impact fees on commercial and residential builders. The reduction, which would delay full implementation of proposed increases in impact fees on development in the county until 2010, is scheduled to be voted on Monday night by the County Council. Economic impact fees are designed to help local governments provide services and infrastructure improvements, such as sewer lines and roads.