The Arc Maryland Celebrates Opening Doors for 65 Years at Statewide Convention & Awards Banquet

Last week, over 320 self-advocates, family members, professionals, volunteer leaders, and partners from The Arc, other nonprofits, and government agencies joined together in Ellicott City for The Arc Maryland’s Statewide Convention & Awards Banquet!

The big day featured a stellar awards ceremony, exciting presentations, and a 65th Anniversary celebration for The Arc Maryland, all focused around the Convention theme, Opening Doors for 65 Years.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and our wonderful event sponsors who made this day one for the ages! You can check out pictures from the day below, along with the Convention program to read about this year's awardees.

Meet The Arc Maryland's FY26 Board Leadership

Our Board of Directors Executive Committee for Fiscal Year 2026 is set! This group from around Maryland will be leading our Board of Directors over the next year and beyond, pictured below from left to right:

President: Guy Stephens

Vice-President: Tony Zanfordino

Treasurer: Eugene Mark

Secretary: Justin Valenti

Immediate Past President: Lori Scott

MCE Leadership: The Arc Class of 2025 Graduates

On May 28th, we celebrated 29 employees of local chapters of The Arc who completed ther year-long journey of the Maryland Conference of Executives: Leadership - The Arc program! Over the past year, the class learned to develop and fine-tune their leadership skills and how to better support their organization's employees, people with IDD, and families. Let's hear it for MCE Class of '25!

Save the Date: SpArc Tank Ig-Nite

November 20th - Ten Oaks Ballroom Clarksville, MD

Continue the celebration of The Arc Maryland's 65th Anniversary this fall at SpArc Tank Ig-Nite! Our hallmark grant initiative, SpArc Tank, is back again, offering opportunities for organizations and individuals to pitch ideas for the funding of innovative projects, new technology, resources, and more solutions to improve access to independent living, inclusion, and equity for people with disabilities.

Ig-Nite is an extraordinary evening dedicated to showcasing these innovative ideas alongside fellow trailblazers, thinkers, visionaries, and funders from diverse fields. We hope to celebrate it with you on November 20th at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville! Look for registration, opportunities to sponsor, and more information later this month!

Tell Congress - No Medicaid or SNAP Cuts!

On May 22, the House of Representatives approved a budget bill that would cut $715 billion from Medicaid and $300 billion from SNAP. This bill now moves to the Senate. Any cuts to a part of Medicaid will impact all Medicaid in Maryland. This isn’t over— The Senate is expected to vote in the next several days.

ACT NOW to tell Congress to reverse course and act to protect Medicaid and SNAP. No one should go without the food or health care they need!

DDA Webinars on Draft Waiver Amendments

To Be Determined - Meeting Links Not Yet Available

The Developmental Disabilities Administration announced earlier this week that a draft waiver amendment would be coming out on June 9th. While we do not know if that is still the plan, we have been informed that the webinars that will be held to explain the proposed changes are being rescheduled, followed by a public comment period.

Please be on the lookout for official announcements from the DDA over the next few days for final dates and times of the webinars.

Join the 2025 Maryland Youth Leadership Forum

Build your leadership skills and prepare for future employment, higher education, and independent living with Maryland Youth Leadership Forum; an initiative lead by our partners at Independence Now. Marylanders with disabilities in their last two years of high school and 2025 graduates are invited to join this year's experience at Towson University from June 26th to 28th. There are only a few spots left for 2025 Delegates, so apply today!

Kim Tart Receives The Arc Maryland's Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award

During our Statewide Convention & Awards Banquet on May 29th, Kim Tart was honored as The Arc Maryland's Chapter Volunteer of the Year, following nearly a decade of service to The Arc Maryland in various roles and capacities. Most recently, Kim served as the co-chair of the Education Advocacy Committee and the Board Secretary. We wish Kim the best as she finishes her final board term, and as she enters the next chapter in her life this September, when she will retire from the Federal Government after a 37-year career. Thanks again, Kim!

The Arc Maryland Closed for Strategic Planning

June 16th to 23rd

With the Legislative Session behind us and our Statewide Convention & Awards Banquet concluded, The Arc Maryland is taking time this month to reflect, strategize and plan for the future! From Monday, June 16th, to Monday, June 23rd, The Arc Maryland Team will take the time to research and develop action plans for services to better support our community and partners in Maryland. During this time, please be patient with email and call returns from our staff, who will be back and better than ever the week of the 23rd! *Not pictured: Dominique Palmer, Jackson DeCarlo

A Word About the Future of The Arc in Maryland; Our Commitment to People with IDD and their Families

It is a new day for The Arc in Maryland—one filled with promise, reflection, and renewed commitment to the people and families we serve. As one of the longest-standing and most respected networks of disability service and advocacy organizations in the state, we embrace this new chapter with pride, curiosity, and optimism for the future.

The nine local chapters of The Arc in Maryland have provided exemplary services and supports to thousands of Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families for decades. Our legacy is one of advocacy, innovation, and action - punctuated by landmark legislative and civil rights advancements that have changed lives and shaped systems. But The Arc is more than a network of service providers. We are also a powerful force for advocacy, with The Arc Maryland leading our efforts to inform, organize, and mobilize a broad grassroots network across the state. For over 75 years, our collective efforts have opened doors to new opportunities, protected rights, and improved the quality of life for individuals with IDD and their families.

Adapting with Purpose

In a rapidly changing world, it's natural to ask how a legacy organization keeps pace. The answer is simple: we evolve. It is part of who we are. Across our network, we listen, learn, and adapt - together. Through dialogue, collaboration, and shared values, we continuously reshape our services and approaches to meet emerging needs.

Since the global pandemic, we’ve seen a growing need for personalized mental and behavioral health services, safe and affordable housing, respite and family support, therapeutic foster care, and navigation of complex systems of care. We have also seen a surge in interest in self-directed services - and we’ve responded.

Our chapters are actively designing services with the people we support, ensuring that individuals have choice and control over who supports them, how they are supported, and where and with whom they live. By blending the foundational principles of self-direction with the stability of community-based services, we’ve created a new hybrid model that is flexible, responsive, and grounded in dignity, autonomy, and respect.

As our network grows and evolves, there are times when organizations choose a different path. The Arc Central Chesapeake has formally separated from The Arc and are currently operating independently under the name “Fello.”

Fello is no longer a part of The Arc network and, while we are no longer connected through affiliation, we are hopeful for a continued partnership in our disability rights advocacy and service to the community.

Our mission of The Arc remains unchanged: to ensure individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the state, including those who live, learn, work, and play in Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, have continued access to high-quality, person-centered services and advocacy. To this result, the Maryland Conference of Executives of The Arc (MCE), in partnership with The Arc Maryland Board of Directors, will soon release a comprehensive plan for establishing a strong presence of The Arc in Anne Arundel County and the Central and Lower Chesapeake regions. We are committed to sustaining and expanding our reach - so that every community has access to the values, vision, and supports that The Arc has long stood for.

People interested in receiving services or learning more about what The Arc can offer in Anne Arundel or the Eastern Shore are encouraged to complete the interest form through the link below. A member of our team will respond within 48 hours.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, we are energized by what lies ahead and deeply grateful for the trust and partnership of our families, self-advocates, staff, community partners, and allies. Together, we will continue building a Maryland where people with IDD enjoy equal rights, real choices, and full inclusion in all aspects of community life.

With gratitude and determination,

Ande Kolp, Executive Director

The Arc Maryland

For More Information on The Arc Maryland, please go to www.thearcmd.org.

Local Chapters of The Arc in Maryland:

The Arc Baltimore

The Arc Carroll County

The Arc Howard County

The Arc Frederick County

The Arc Howard County

The Arc Montgomery County

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region

The Arc Prince George’s County

The Arc Washington County

As We Look To The Future of Our Work, We Need You!

Support The Arc Maryland

Are you looking for ways to support the work of The Arc Maryland? We have many opportunities for ways in which you can give! See below or contact below or contact sdols@thearcmd.org for more information.

Or mail your donation to:

The Arc Maryland

Attn: Annual Giving Campaign

8601 Robert Fulton Drive, Suite 140

Columbia, MD 21046