He's Holy & I'm Knott

Rev. Al and I are thrilled to shine the He's Holy I'm Knott spotlight on Joe DeMattos, the dynamic President & CEO of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM)!

Joe's unwavering commitment to healthcare excellence and advocacy started in Hawaii where he played a crucial role advising the Governor on Healthcare policy in the early 90's. His work in Maryland has been nothing short of extraordinary. With his visionary leadership, HFAM has been at the forefront of championing quality care and innovative solutions within Maryland's healthcare landscape.

Under Joe's guidance, HFAM has become a beacon of empowerment for healthcare providers, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to deliver exceptional care to their communities. His dedication to advancing the interests of healthcare facilities and the individuals they serve has made a profound impact, elevating standards and promoting collaboration across the industry.

Joe's passion for healthcare extends beyond his professional endeavors. He is deeply involved in various initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare policies, improving patient outcomes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and this year he has turned his focus on the Leukemia and Lymphona Society and the fight to cure blood cancers.

As we celebrate Joe DeMattos and his remarkable contributions to Maryland's healthcare sector, let's take a moment to applaud his vision, leadership, and unwavering dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of countless individuals.

Thank you, Joe, thanks for coming in to see us, what a great talk....

Rev. Al and I are back with a whole series of weekly podcasts to take us through the Summer, perfect for a ride to the beach or better yet sitting on the beach. We begin by welcoming the one and only, James Williams.

James Williams is a dedicated leader who is making a difference in the fight against cancer as the Director of the American Cancer Society CAN (Cancer Action Network). With his passion, expertise, and strategic vision, he is driving positive change and improving outcomes for cancer patients and survivors nationwide. James' commitment to advocacy and his unwavering determination serves as inspiration to all those working towards a world without cancer.

James holds a bachelor's degree in public health policy and a master's degree in healthcare administration. He began his career working in government relations for a prominent healthcare organization, where he advocated for policies aimed at improving access to care for underserved communities. His experience in navigating complex legislative environments and building relationships with key stakeholders laid the foundation for his current role at the American Cancer Society CAN.

We couldn't be more proud, this one hits home for survivors like me and I was so excited to meet James and learn about the work James is doing in the Community.

Thanks for sharing your unique story and thanks for the profound effect you are having on patients and families. Keep rolling and we appreciate you coming in.

So excited to bring our audience another great interview with a man we both have tremendous respect for the great Pat Moran. As we roll towards the end of the 2024 legislative session one thing we know for sure is that there will be winners and losers.

Once again Pat Moran is a Winner, but the real winners are the people he represents that work for our State. Patrick has been fighting for working people in their struggle for dignity and respect on the job for nearly 30 years across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has been recognized twice by the Daily Records' Power 100, an annual list of the one hundred most powerful people in Annapolis, Maryland's state capitol. Moran's journey to leadership within AFSCME is marked by years of dedication and service to the labor movement. He rose through the ranks of AFSCME, starting his career as a union organizer before holding various leadership positions within the organization.

His grassroots background and deep understanding of the challenges facing working families have undoubtedly shaped his approach to leadership. In this episode we talk about his career, how he got started, how he stays motivated, and most importantly we get a closer look at what shapes this man and his actions.

Both the Rev and I have known Pat for decades and we watch in awe as he navigates the tough waters of Annapolis, through good Administrations and the bad ones. Thanks, Pat, for coming in and spending time with us, and thanks for the positive impact you have had on all the families that have members that work for our State Government….

Enjoy!

I think it's safe to say that the Rev and I love Keiffer Mitchell. Imagine being him, growing up in Baltimore, in the Mitchell family, one of the Baltimore's most prominant families, the expectations that they all always live up to.

Public service is how they do it...for Keiffer it started with 12 years in the City Council, 1995 throught 2007 and then served in our legilature and went on to serve as a close advisor to former Governor Larry Hogan.

What was it like to grow up in the Mitchell Family, come along for the ride and learn what it was like to grow up as Keiffer Mitchell, a Boy's Latin Laker Alumni, a former History teacher at that great institution.

Keiffer lays it all out there, he's a Baltimore treasure, from the days at the Farmers Market hand sqeezing Oranges to the days of running for Mayor, and finally as Chief of Staff basically running the State..Keiffer is one of Baltimore's best Ambassadors and this conversation is cool and refreshing...

In 1999 and in 2005, he was voted Baltimore's "Best Politician" by Baltimore City Paper. Among his community activities are membership on the Echo Hill Outdoor School Board, the Family Tree Board, the Habitat for Humanity Board, and the Board of Trustees of the Boys' Latin School. A lifelong parishioner at Sharp Street United Methodist Church, he lives in Baltimore's historic Bolton Hill, where he serves on the board of his neighborhood association.

Keiffer Mitchell, living the life of a Mitchell in our great city. Thanks Keiffer, for all you have done for Baltimore,keep rolling..

Friends, this is a great conversation....

Enjoy!

We are back and we have 4 shows lined up for the opening of Season 4. We have some amazing guests coming out over the next four weeks and we are very excited for Season 4. Following todays post with Rebecca Hoffberger we have three more great Marylanders, Keiffer Mitchell, Pat Moran and James Williams of the Amerrican Cancer Society. Stay tuned for these Tuesday releases over the next few weeks as we get in the studio with some great new guests.

It's so great to Welcome the great Rebecca Hoffberger. A visionary for the Visionaries, Visionary Artists that is, she's established one of the most unique treasured Museums in the Country. Rebecca is someone that Rev. Al and I have both known for a long time. She was married to an incredible man who also had vision the late Leroy Hoffberger, father to one of my best friends Doug Hoffberger... Smaltimore...

Rebecca has done an incredible job with the American Visionary Arts Museum, how about this fact, AVAM is second to the BMA when it comes to visitors and that's saying something given the incredible Museums we have in Baltimore. Rebecca is gifted and she has the most beautiful soul, she's traveled the world and worked with some incredible minds. A life-long devotee of the power of intuition and fresh thought, Hoffberger was accepted into college at age 15 though chose instead the personal invitation of internationally renowned mime Marcel Marceau, to become his first American apprentice in Paris.

By 19, Rebecca had co-founded her own ballet company and by 21, was a sought-after consultant to a broad spectrum of nonprofits, including research and development scientific companies. At 25, she was awarded the title of "Dame" for her work to establish medical field hospitals in Nigeria. She studied alternative and folk medicine in Mexico. Returning to the States, Hoffberger served on the Board of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Center in Virginia and worked as Development Director at the Sinai Hospital's Department of Psychiatry for People Encouraging People, where she first conceived her unique national visionary museum/education center. In recognition of this distinguished achievement in the museum field, Hoffberger was awarded the 2011 Katherine Coffey Award by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums. Hoffberger has received Honorary Doctorates from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Stevenson University, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and McDaniel College, as well as awarded Loyola College's Andrew White Award—the school's highest civic honor—the College of Notre Dame Sarah's Circle Award, and was selected as Franklin & Marshall College's Conrad Nelson Lecturer. She is an inductee into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, a winner of the Urban Land Institute's National Award for Excellence, Israel Bonds' Golda Meir Award, and the first recipient of the Sir Arthur C. Clarke Vision and Imagination Award.

Any questions, we get into lots of things, there's so much to talk about, both Rev. Al and I are thrilled to know and call Rebecca a good friend. Thanks Rebecca!

You're gonna love this one!

Enjoy!

One of things we love about this experience is the opportunity to bring to light organizations that are doing amazing work throughout the City, this episode we have Bernand Foster who is the Executive Director of the Tuerk House and he has overseen and been a part of tremendous growth since he came on board in 2011.

Founded in 1970, the concept of drug and alcohol treatment was forever changed with the founding of this dynamic organization. Dr. Isadore Tuerk, then the commissioner of Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene—knew there was a more collaborative, compassionate way to help people find lifelong healing and recovery. From their vision, Tuerk House was born. Today, our non-profit drug and alcohol treatment system serves nearly 300 patients a day, regardless of their ability to pay, through an innovative, integrated model of care that encompasses all aspects of recovery.

300 patients a day that's alot of people they are serving with four centers open, the biggest and most active in the City. All of this is made possible by the incredible leadership team and all of the dedicated workers that are providing hope for these patients in neeed. Wait until you learn about their leader, Bernard Foster, who believe's God sent him here to do this work, and one thing I can tell you is Thank God for Bernard Foster, who opens up and brings along on his journey to do Gods work.

Thanks to Bernard Foster and his team, doing God's work! Enjoy!

Wow, every once and a while we bring forward these great organizations from the heart our our community and they are doing amazing work, right in our backyard. Walter Billips and Earl El Amin are doing the work that's helping turn peoples lives in the right direction.

NCIA, The program runs five traning courses for incredible jobs that can provide for a great living and everyone of them allows the skills possesor to do what they do nearly anywhere in the world.

Let's take note, HVAC/R, Automobile Repair. Drones, Commercial Drivers Training, CDL, and Culinary Arts. They have a great group of choices for those that enter the program do the hard work, and end up in jobs in our community. They enjoy great relationships with other non profits in the City such as DCREP, District Court Re-Entry Program, and they are super focused on members of the population that are returning citizens with a real focus on Veterns returning to the workforce.

Nothing comes for free, these programs give people an opoortunity, skills are where its at.

What a joy it was to welcome these guys, we are both interested in the programs we would love to help hire people from this program and our next talk is going to be there when the Rev and I pay them a visit. I am excited to see this exciting program in action.

Rev. and Earl are familiar faces in the community and Walters doing the lords work out there. Tune in for a great discussion that's shines the light on NCIA and the incredible people that work there and the work they are doing.

Gentlemen, thanks for catching up and thanks for giving men and women a second chance and a fresh start.

Reverand Al and I have been busy, AIR LLC and Beloved Community Services are about as busy as they have ever been and before we get even busier. So its time to get busy with a series of new Podcasts to be released over the next two months. We've been back in the Advanced Indoor Resources Poast Studio with a bunch of exciting new guests.

So get ready for weekly Posts as the next two months are filled with amazing guests just like Samantha Musgrove and Devin Weaver. These two young hungry individuals are making Waves bringing free internet to parts of Baltimore that could easily be considered Internet Deserts.

More than 96,000 homes in Baltimore City lack internet home service. This has broad implications for these residents who lack this service. How about this fact, at the start of the pandemic more than 24,000 students couldn't get online to continue their educations while they spent much of the Spring at home. That statistic in and of itself is why we are promoting this work. You might well imagine where we do and don't have service throughtout the City, and if you guessed the same neighborhoods that were redlined over 100 years ago you guessed right.

Project Waves was founded in 2018 and through the design and creation of the Waves Point to Multipoint wireless network, their team has connected over 300 households to free high speed internet service. Baltimore City residents face one of the highest rates of Digital Disconnectivity in the United States. As you might imagine a lack of access, affordability and digital literacy exacerbate disparities in Education, healthcare access, stable housing and more.

Unlike traditional Internet Servcie Providers Project Waves is a non profit who's priority is ensuring members of their network have relaible high speed internet service regardless of socioeconomic status.

Samantha and Devin bring so much energy and knowledge to this effort and they are a dynamic duo that are getitng the job done despite a lack of help and urgency from the City, who ultimately controls their destiny. Listen in to this Podcast, there's so much to learn and understand about the heavy lifting that the people at Project Waves have undertaken. Thanks to Sam and Devin your energy and enthusiam for providing what the UN has declared a human right, Internet service for all.

Thanks for all you are doing to close the gap.

Here we go wiith another great interview in Las Vegas at the ICSC Maryland Pool Party.

We start off with Bill Henry, our Comptroller for the City of Baltimore, a Baltimore native and a man who has served our City for many years. Bill gradualted HS class of 86' at Loyola Blakefield. He served three terms as Baltimore's City Councilman representing the 4th District. He loves revitalizing neighborhoods not only in his district but around the City. He comes to the world of politics naturally because his father spent a life time running campaigns. A mentor to Rev. Al, Bill's father sincerely beleived that you could make difference. This trait passed along to Bill and he has run with it. The man is totally prepared for the work he has taken on, Hopkins undergrad for Urban Studies and Loyola MBA with a concentration in Finance. He's passionate about his job and he is working to bring the Comptrollers office into the 21st century.

This incredible conversation exposes the love he has for our City, we are lucky to have him. It's not long before we are joined by Councilman Eric Costello, in his third term representing the mighty 11th District which consists of 24 individual neighborhoods and stretches from Fort McHenry all the way to Mt Vernon with alot going on. Councilman Costello has established himself as the model Councilman, his sense of urgency is awesome and he always comes through for his constituents.

Two men, one from Baltimore and one from NY, both passionate workers for the betterment of our City. Thanks to both of them for taking time to speak with us during this incredible busy day for Elected officials in Las Vegas.

So we are out in Las Vegas with all of the Developers in Maryland and as it turns out many Maryland born developers have also started developing in Virginia and who do we find at the Maryland Pool my friend, Levar Stoney..the Mayor of Richmond.

He grew up in Hampton Roads, went to James Madison and his next stop was Richmond. He fell in love with it and so why not become the Mayor. The people of Richmond love him and he's done a great job as Mayor since being elected in 2016. It's a two term limit in Virginia for Mayor and one term for the Governor, the Mayors success has many people in Virginia talking about a run for Governor in his future.

This conversation spans 40 minutes but starts with Rev Al and the Mayor exchanging historical facts and family ties as the Rev has family from Richmond and knows his stuff, the ensuing discussion is enlightening and fun.

The City of Richmond is a place where Levar Stoney is making a huge differance. He is the 80th Mayor elected in Richmond history, and prior to that he was the Secretary of State for Governor Terri McCaliffe's where he was the youngest member of that Administration.

Levar Stoney is a winner, he knows how to build community, he knows how to lead and as a result the numbers across the board in Richmond are getting better. He's investing in Parks and infrastructure to support a City on the rise. If you like Food Richmond is a new hot spot for foodies...

Jump in and learn about what makes this guy tick, Rev Al and I are so grateful for his time in between meetings and looking at deals for the City of Richmond. We were lucky to have him come by.

Thanks Levar, we appreciate you, your love for our neighbors to the south and your open mind about Government and how it can be better for the people... we can't wait to see what you do next.