Leadership Howard County (LHC) is a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire leaders to create meaningful change in our community. LHC works to educate, prepare, connect, and sustain leaders that will go on to make Howard County the best place to live, work and play. Tim Payne spoke with us about his new role as president of LHC and his dedication to bringing awareness to the organization’s larger mission.

Tim Payne is committed to helping others through his work in the nonprofit sector. He was the Executive Director of Raise DC and in a leadership position at For Love of Children. These organizations focus on improving education for under-resourced young people in Washington, DC. Tim is also a graduate of other leadership programs in the area, including Leadership Greater Washington (LGW) and the StriveTogether Leadership Program.

After a nearly 20-year career in nonprofit work, he took some time off to care for his family while exploring ways he could share his skills to influence change in his home community of Howard County. “When I saw the opportunity at LHC, I recognized that I could have the space to be involved in transformative leadership opportunities with people in my community.”

LHC’s mission is to convene and inspire influential leaders in community outreach, business, government, education, and more. 

So how does it work? LHC has three core offerings:

●    Leadership Premier is a 10-month program that runs from September to June. Participants get a behind-the-scenes look at how different systems work in our community, from local government, businesses, hospital administration and more. This offers a transformative educational experience that helps future leaders learn how they can impact Howard County for the better.

●    Leadership Essentials, offered in partnership with Loyola University, is designed more for skill-building for participants who seek coaching and mentoring while building a community with like-minded individuals.

●    Leadership U is their program for rising high school juniors. It empowers students with leadership skills via student-driven projects that will impact and serve the community.

●    Community Impact Projects are a focus across all LHC’s work. Projects focus on skills-based volunteerism with non-profit partners.

For Tim, leadership is much more than guiding and influencing others. “What great leaders can do is bring together expertise and talent so that it can truly be meaningfully impactful in the best ways possible.” Regarding the future of LHC, Tim plans to engage alums and support them as they interact with and advise service projects in Howard County. “I hope we can be a place where folks can come together and use the common ground they formed from being in our program and leverage it towards the common good.”