Center Maryland Presents: The Lobby Podcast

This week Damian is joined by Mat Rice (People on the Go Maryland), Ande Kolp (The Arc Maryland), and Laura Howell (Maryland Association of Community Services) to talk about the These Are Our Lives action night that will be held at Maryland House of Delegates and State Capitol later tonight. The purpose of this action night is for people with disabilities to share their stories with state leaders and talk about what the impact of the proposed budget cuts would be.

Additional Resources

Marylanders with disabilities to hold action night in Annapolis to protest budget cuts: Marylanders with disabilities will hold an action night in Annapolis on Monday to protest Governor Wes Moore’s proposed budget cuts. (NottinghamMD)

Moore’s proposed budget cuts include $2K grants to help people with disabilities: Gov. Wes Moore proposes slashing hundreds of millions of dollars in planned spending to close Maryland’s $3 billion budget gap, including a small program that provides modest grants to families caring for a loved one with developmental disabilities. (Baltimore Banner)

Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition concerned over proposed budget cuts to state's DDA: The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition raised concerns over a proposed $200 million budget cut to the state's Developmental Disabilities Administration. (WBALTV)

This week’s guest is Joseph DeMattos. Joe has decades of experience in public affairs in healthcare advocacy. Joe joins the podcast to talk about his journey from Hawaii to Maryland, his two new business ventures, building influence across two states, leadership philosophy, and more. 

You can connect with Joe on his LinkedIn Page at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdemattos/.

Gregory Vetter is a former professional lacrosse player, entrepreneur, and author of Undressed. He turned a family salad dressing recipe into Tessemae’s, an organic salad company. He is also the co-founder of Alta Fresh Foods, Quenchers Vodka Drinks, as well as Tushees Portable Toilets. Greg joins the podcast to talk about his journey and more.

You can learn more about Greg and his book at gregoryvetter.com.

This episode was produced by Bill Duffield.

Melanie Miller returns to the podcast to give us an Maryland economic development update as well as recap Winter MACO. Melanie Miller, founder of Miller Partnership Consultants (MPC), is a business growth strategist with over 30 years of experience in business development, community relations, and strategic alliances. She specializes in government relations, marketing strategy, public affairs, sales, and partnerships. Leveraging a vast MidAtlantic network, Melanie collaborates with elected officials, chambers of commerce, and business organizations to create growth opportunities. Known for her energetic “get it done” approach, she excels in advancing organizational goals through effective communication, campaign work, event management, and product launches.

This week’s guest is former Maryland Governmer Martin O’Malley. Gov. O’Malley is currently running to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. He previously served as the Social Security Administrator under President Joe Biden as well as other positions such as the Mayor of Baltimore and Baltimore City Council Member. He joins the podcast to talk about why he made the decision to run for DNC Chair.

 Today's episode features Maryland Pharmacists Association Executive Director Aliyah Horton and EPIC Rx Chief Executive Officer, and owner of Sharpsburg Pharmacy, Brian Hose. Aliyah and Brian join Damian to discuss the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) in the community, the struggles that local drugstores are facing, as well as legislation to curb these middlemen at the state & federal level.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are companies that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers, Medicare Part D drug plans, and large employers. Originally, PBMs were intended to help control drug costs and improve patient access to medications. However, they've become increasingly controversial due to issues surrounding pricing transparency, profit margins, and practices that critics say drive up costs for both patients and the healthcare system.

Learn more about the Maryland Pharmacists Association by checking out their website here. Learn more about Epic Rx here.

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This episode was produced by William Duffield

Our guest for this week's episode is John Sherman, the CEO of Storyfarm. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is constantly changing. In this episode, Damian and John discuss the rapidly changing landscape of artificial intelligence. They talk about the risks, the future of AI, and the urgency to act now. 

Check out John's podcast on his YouTube channel here.

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This episode was produced by William Duffield

The election is now over. Former President Donald Trump is now the president-elect. In this week's episode, Candace, Damian, & Don recap how election day unfolded for them. The gang also give their final thoughts about the election, discuss how Maryland can be an example for the rest of the country, and also where we go from here.

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This episode was produced by William Duffield

There is only one day left until election day. In this week's episode, Damian, Candace, & Don give their final predictions for tomorrow. Also, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman returns to give his prediction, as well as talk about what the party is doing in the final days.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/20357361/admin/dashboard/

Plus:

Check your voter registration status and more at vote.org

Let us know how we did by leaving a review!

This episode was produced by Bill Duffield

There are only eight days left until election day. In this weeks episode the gang gives their final thoughts on the presidential election as we head into the final week, as well as their insights on Maryland’s Senate race between Former Governor Larry Hogan and County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

Newsletter: https://centermaryland.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenterMaryland/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/centermaryland?lang=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/20357361/admin/dashboard/

Plus:

Check your voter registration status and more at vote.org

Let us know how we did by leaving a review!

This episode was produced by Bill Duffield