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Anne Arundel County is a beautiful place filled with can-do personalities and diverse options for entertainment and learning. After 15 years in business in the county, we’ve been lucky enough to become acquainted with so many people throughout the community that are working hard to drive positive impact.

While it was hard to narrow down, we’re giving a big shoutout to 15 inspiring leaders here in Anne Arundel County that we admire.

In no particular order…here we go!

Jeremy Browning – Annapolis Pride
Advocating for LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion in our community, Jeremy is a founding member of Annapolis Pride and serves as the External Affairs Committee Chair. After meeting and directly working with Jeremy and the rest of the team on the 2022 Annapolis Pride Festival and Parade, we were lucky to learn about his passion for the LGBTQ+ community. Jeremy has done an excellent job of supporting the Annapolis Pride organization and their entire team. Being a collaborative group ourselves, we love working with other organizations that thrive on collaboration too!

Barbara Jacobs – Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer, Barbara Jacobs is a true hero. After 40 years in the field of nursing – seven of those being at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center – Barbra has officially retired. We thank Barbra for her service to her community, especially through a global pandemic.

Nancy Hartzell – Leadership Anne Arundel
Leadership Anne Arundel isn’t the only organization that’s been able to work with the great Nancy! We first met Nancy working through other local organizations and activities through the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce. She’s always working to support and help others. Many of our crew members have even had the opportunity to work closely with Nancy during their tenure with LAA!

Betty Buck – HM2 Buck for Hope Foundation
Betty was an Anne Arundel County business owner that recently sold her family business to start the HM2 Buck for Hope Foundation. The foundation actively seeks to raise awareness surrounding sexual assault and suicide prevention in the military. Getting to work with Betty directly and seeing her passion for furthering the foundation’s mission has shown us her unstoppable drive.

Steve Anderson + Trish Rabbitt – Third Eye Comics
Husband and wife duo Steve Anderson and Trish Rabbitt are the owners of highly successful comic store Third Eye Comics. Anderson and Rabbitt not only get to create a great environment for their staff and customers, but they also actively work to build relationships with neighboring schools and libraries. Anderson and Rabbitt take orders from librarians throughout five different counties, helping to relieve the financial burden of keeping reading material fresh for students.

Jack Ellis – Post Haste
Jack Ellis is the owner of Post Haste, a full-service printing and direct mail located in Annapolis, Maryland. He has always made an active effort to give back to the community by working with other local clients such as Anne Arundel Community College, Anne Arundel Medical Center, the Maryland House of Delegates, the U.S. Naval Academy, Graul’s Market, among others. He shows his continued support for Anne Arundel County through his work with non-profit organizations including the Arundel Lodge, Leadership Anne Arundel, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Jack also has the best stories to share, so never hesitate to stop in and say hi!

Bump Moyer – Neat Streets
Moyer is the founder of Neat Streets, an organization started through the Eastport Civic Association. Neat Streets is designed to help keep the streets of Eastport clean with the help of its residents. Moyer helps lead their cleaning efforts weekly by gathering the volunteers and organizing efforts. Moyer is also the nephew of Ellen Moyer, the former mayor of Annapolis. Together, they were able to make tremendous strides in giving back to the community.

Danielle Press – Annapolis Dogs
Danielle is a photographer located in Annapolis, MD. Receiving 100s of submissions for her dog calendars, not only does she photograph dogs, but she lets residents of the area send in pictures of their pups for her yearly dog calendar. After her annual calendar sale, she donates all proceeds to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.

Ryan Sneddon – Naptown Scoop
If you’re looking for the inside scoop, Ryan Sneddon has it! Publisher of the tri-weekly newsletter, Naptown Scoop, Ryan will give you all the Annapolis info you need, along with a good laugh. From news, food, music and finding all the coolest events in town, this is a newsletter you don’t want to miss out on. We’ve also had the opportunity to partner with Ryan on several projects! Also, if you’re interested in working with him directly, he also picks the best spots for business meetings. (Pro tip: Give the Scoop a follow on Instagram!)

Brian Meyer – Live Water Foundation
Brian Meyer, the co-founder of the Live Water Foundation, founded this non-profit in 2017 based on his passion for serving veterans and youth. Live Water aims to not only inspire others but to clean the waterways that surround Anne Arundel County. Meyer’s love for paddling combined with a passion for helping others has truly made him an asset to Annapolis. And he throws a great luau fundraiser!

John Frenaye – Eye on Annapolis
All eyes are on John Frenaye of Eye on Annapolis. From highlighting local news, businesses, music & entertainment, and even podcasting, John knows what’s going on. Getting news out in a timely manner online and on social media is what John excels at. Plus, he’s a great guy just to talk to. Liquified is grateful for his friendship.

Kelly Brown – AASPCA
Kelly Brown is the President of the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, and she works tirelessly to help all of our furry friends in need. From the various community services they provide, to the fundraising events around the county, even down to their base mission of giving animals in need a loving temporary home, Kelly brown is behind it all. Not to mention her efforts supporting the new development initiatives!

Anne Arundel First Alert
Anne Arundel First Alert, a development of The Arundel News, delivers breaking news to its followers through social media in real-time. This first alert account helps the members of our community stay safe, up to date, and aware of areas to avoid. Without Anne Arundel First Alert, there would be much more congestion and traffic throughout Anne Arundel County. Thanks for always keeping an eye (and ear) out for us!

Tim Cureton – Rise Up Coffee
Tim Cureton is the owner of Rise Up coffee, a local favorite for coffee and other specialty drinks. Tim’s goal is to bring locally brewed coffee direct to customers right here in the community (and on the Eastern Shore). Rise Up brings business to local growers and fresh products to Anne Arundel County residents. Bonus: their coffee is seriously amazing!

Maureen Porto – Maureen Porto Studios
Maureen owns Annapolis-based photography studio, Maureen Porto Studios, that’s dedicated to serving industry leaders with dynamic visuals. Part of her mission is to help those that struggle with being camera shy, as she knows how difficult it can be to truly feel comfortable in front of the lens. She’s made it her missions to design a relaxed, fully guided process that ensures that clients feel comfortable and confident. We loved having Maureen take our headshots at Liquified and cannot express how amazing our experience was with her!

As we mentioned, picking only 15 local leaders for this list was no easy feat. Nonetheless, we’re happy to know such hardworking and driven people surround us in business. Give these guys a follow or reach out if they could be of use to you!