He's Holy & I'm Knott

Rev. Al and I are back, and we start the 2023 year with a guy who made more news happen in 2022 than anyone we know.... Stewart Bainum, the uber successful CEO of Choice Hotels International, made lots of news by getting himself in the news business as the lead investor in The Baltimore Banner. Local news across the country was disintegrating our own Baltimore Sun was under seige by it's latest owner, investment in local news was down...

In Baltimore, a movement led by my friend Ted Venetoulis was under foot to do something different, and Stewart the ultimate entreprenuer saw the opportunity to fund a non profit entity and bring forward Baltimore's newest source of local news The Baltimore Banner...

Stewart walks us through it all, his amazing career, as a businessman, a politian, and as a family man. How lucky are we as Baltimorean's that Stewart beleived in Ted's vision and he put his money on the table and said let's do it...The Baltimore Banner is off to an incredible start, great hires at CEO, and Editor in Chief and many of the story tellers are familiar to us.

This one was recorded last Summer, we've been saving it to kick off the year and our next run of Podcasts. Thanks for your time Stewart, things are on the rise at the Baltimore Banner, thanks for single handedly saving local news.

Oh say does that star spangled Banner yet wave

O're the land of the free and the home of the brave!

This one is pure education...two experts in Real Estate one from a global level and one from an Interior perspective. Note to self before listening, we live indoors over 90% of our lives.

Our guests are fantastic, Brendan Gill, President of the MacKenzie Companies, a Full Service Real Estate company located in Lutherville with roots all over the Baltimore Metropolitan area, his Uncle Mike Gill our Commerce Secretary was with us just a few weeks back, part of a great Baltimore family. Kelly Ennis of the Verve Partnership is in my opinion is amongst the best of a new class of Interior Designers, not just looking at space but looking at space and how it impacts humans while we are inside it.

You'll learn that there is healthy space, and there's every other space. Major companies are looking at recreating space in a post Pandemic world and these two are right in the middle of it. We discuss a wide range of topics including workforce, and the need for a focus on creating more jobs for the Built Environment and we talk about the future of buildings and what it's gonna take to get employee's back to these workplaces left abandoned by the pandemic. So much learning..

People are the reason buildings exist...our two great guests, both delcared Holy by the Rev give us hope for a healthier future indoors....

Thanks Brendan and Kelly for an awesome enlightning conversation...

Reverand Al and I have been waiting to get this one out there for this special occasion as this program celebrates it's 8th Graduation this Wednesday November 30th at 11:30.

The District Court Re-Entry Project provides options to Baltimore City District Court Judges to select to send someone to one of 17 training programs across a multitude of industries. The intended outcome is providing defendants with skills that lead to a job in Baltimore's workforce. With over 165 men and women as graduates and a very small rate of recitivism, this program has captured the attention of our elected officals in Annapolis, especially Senator Cory McCray who knows a "Fire Starter" when he see's one.

He and Judge Pastore teamed up, got legislation crafted and passed so that this program could hone it's work and become a model across the state.

I have known Judge Pastore for over 30 years and I met Cory about 6 years ago, you've got two people here that love themsleves some Baltimore, born and raised here they both call it home. Both have run for political office, Nicki was spared buy a small amount of votes, the Universe had bigger idea's for her energy. This is her baby and it arrose because defendants were complaining about the lack of jobs. Nicki, the consumate fixer thought of giving them skills and sparing the State the cost of incarceration. It's a labor of love for the Judge and I know alot of hard work has gone into making the program a reality. No one works harder on these graduations..

It's working, and this Wednesday in Partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, Jermaine Lewis will be there to inspire the graduates on their new journey and turn this Court Appearance into one that is positive, lifts people and provides pride and dignity for those getting their graduation certificate.

Listen in and learn. Thanks to Senator McCray and Judge Pastore for coming in to spread the good news, it's Holy work!

We couldn't be more pleased than to welcome the great Mike Gill. He loves Maryland and he loves Baltimore City...born and raised here Mike talks about his current role as Secretary of Commerce and he takes us back through the early days of his career where he was on the front of the wave for the Cellular revolution. I met Mike when he was working for Americom and I was tasked with installing a new diffuser because he was a bit too hot.....making people comfortable is a good way to connect and I have had the privaledge of knowing Mike and watching him in his career. He comes from a great Baltimore family, he's a Calvert Hall guy and he and his family have all left their mark on the industries they have touched.

As Mike gets ready to hand off the batan to someone new it's great to hear the excitement he brings to his job, every day. All Marylander's should be grateful that Mike lent us his precious time and I know that our state is better off for having him in there....

Rev. Al and I are so pleased to get things rolling again with this awesome conversation...stay tuned the next one is right around the corner....

Rev. Al and I couldn't be more pleased than to welcome the amazing Rachel Monroe. Knott only is she Holy, she's a superstar, and to have her in the Advanced Indoor Resources Podcast Center was a real Mitzvah for both of us.

This weekend and for the next week Rachel will lead a group of some of Maryland's best to Israel for an experience that is second to none. I have been, and it's an incredible journey to an incredible place with incredible people... lead by an incredible woman and the great people at the Weinberg Foundation.

As a leader of one of the largest Jewish Foundations on the planet Rachel leads over 60 people in offices in Baltimore, and Honolulu. The Foundation provides annual grants in excess 150 million across the country with a high concentration in Baltimore, Honolulu and Israel.

We talk Foundation stuff but we also got a chance to get to know Rachel an incredible wife and mother of three, who got her start as an organizer at the PTA. (Great Story) Rachel and her family like to work hard but they also like to play hard....and have fun...

Proud of her team at the Foundation, she's talks about what changed and what didn't during the COVID time and how her incredible team leveled up and did even more.

The Foundation stays focused on alieviating poverty by providing grants in five area's inlcuding housing, health, jobs, education, and community services.

Guided by the words of Harry Weinberg.....

"While others are solving the ills of the world someone will be hungry someone will be sick someone will be cold, that is our job"

Thanks Rachel, for being you, for all of your hard work. We join you in being thankful for your Board and your teams hard work as the Harry and Jeanette Foundation continues to invest in our local non profits making Baltimore a better place every day.....

Rev Al and I get finally get to talk healthcare. We couldn't be more pleased to have Ed Lovern, the CEO of Ascension St. Agnes join us for a a great talk that hits wide range of topics. We started things off with a quick lesson on how to say his name...say Govern, now replace the G with an L and you've got it down.

Ed's not from Baltimore, but he has quickly made his mark as the CEO of Ascensions only asset in this market. Ascension is an amazing company, in fact they are the largest Catholic Healthcare system in the Country with over 151 Hospitals. Despite the largess of the Mother ship, Ed's leadership style has kept the Community based culture that St. Agnus was always associated with in tact Right in the heart of Southwest Baltimore St. Agnus is in a growth mode as the city and county's around it continue to grow.

Ed's a peoples leader, he leads by example and places himself on the ground with his employee's on a weekly basis. Working through workforce challenges and maintaining some of Baltimore best Doctors is a formula that keeps people from the sourounding communities walking through he door.

Ed Lovern, thanks for coming in and thanks so much for embracing our community and our Beloved Baltimore!

You are offically Holy!

Rev Al and I are so excited to open up Season 2 of He's Holy I'm Knott with a Preview of this weekends Fells Point Fun Festival. We were visited by a talented and passionate group of Baltimorean's that are the minds behind this great event..

This years event will start this Friday and end on Sunday, This Fun Festival has some great acts coming into town including War and Treaty, Brett Dennan, Amy Helm, The Rebirth Brass Band and so many more. Listen in and learn about the Festival, it's orgins, and it's purpose, which is to raise money to protect some of Fells Points oldest buildings and to help maintain the character of the 18th and 19th century homes that line it's streets. Food Trucks, Music, Community, Baltimore's Best Neighborhood Festival is coming our way, starting tomorrow, a huge thanks to Adam, Jeff and Adam for all of the hard work that goes into making this happen.

Kicking off Season 2 with a Fun Festival is exactly where we want to be, back on track! Amazing episodes coming in Season 2, get ready for new fun Podcasts with some of Maryland best minds as we go back to weekly broadcasting...

Be Festive and have Fun at the Fells Point Fun Fest...

Rev Al and I couldn't be more pleased than to have Gina Stewart the Executive Director and Ronny Nadiv Director of Stragetic Intitiavies for the ever growing BWI Partnership.

From the times of Friendship Airport to the BWI Thurgood Marshall International Airport they talk about the roles this incredible organization plays amongst a wide variety of focuses, from transportation, in and around the airpoirt to workforce development the BWI Partnership getting involved with all of the companies that are in and around our bustling airport.

But not only are they touching seemingly everything around the airport their reach goes into the City through a great Partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks, where they bring city kids to the airport to learn about all the jobs around an airport.

These two are rockstars, we get to know them a little bit and we get some insight into this awesome organization...an important player in business, transportation and workforce developement, you do those things and your organaization is Important....

The skies are the limits with this group, take off with us and learn about the BWI Partnership.

Wow.....Rev. Al and I couldn't be more excited to welcome the teacher, Rabbi Andrew Busch, the leader of Baltimore's Oldest Jewish Congregation, the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. A cool conversation, we talk about the great history of his Synogogue from its origin in Baltimore City to its current home on the City/ County Line.

The discussion flows beautifully as these amazing men educate us on the roles that the Jewish and African American Communitties in Baltimore played in the civil rights movement, bringing together the interfaith community together here in Baltimore, and so much more....there's a tightness between those communites that you get a sense of and it's really powerful.

Current President of the Baltimore Jewish Council Rabbi Busch speaks to the power of building relationships in the community. "Breaking out of our own walls" is something that he suggests as he speaks about the program developed by the late Honorable Elijah Cummings taking Balimore City youth to Israel to build on the African American and Jewish relationship.

Come along and learn from these two teachers. I was surrounded by Holiness, this one was definately a Mitzvah for me! Thanks Rabbi Busch, for coming in! Baltimore is lucky to have you!

Rev Al Hathaway and I are so excited about this one.

"Set the gear shift to the high gear of your soul" and learn about Ian Kennedy, a man who was recently in his glory as he watched his favorite band Phish play in the new Merriweather Post Pavillion too a crazed crowd of music lovers. A lover of all things arts and culture as the Director of the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commision he gets to play a lot of roles as he leads the team charged with more Arts and Culture for all Marylanders.

Ian walks us through the process of getting the improvements to Merriweather approved and funded, not as easy as you might think given the fact that nearly everyone that goes to Merriweather comes out with a smile on their face. I know last week at the Phish concerts that was certainly the case.

Let's pile on the glory for a man who has fought hard for the Arts, Culture and Musical enrichment for Marylanders that come from all over for the opportunity to enjoy the amazing amenities that Downtown Columbia has to offer.

Thanks Ian for all you are doing, your work is so important...Let it shine let it shine!