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Clifton Griffin	Memo Diriker	Kathleen Mommé

SALISBURY, MD---Three Salisbury area leaders recently graduated as members of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2012.

They are Dr. Clifton Griffin, Salisbury University dean of graduate studies and research; Dr. Memo Diriker, founding director of the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business’ Business, Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON); and Kathleen Mommé, executive director of United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore.

Established in 1992, Leadership Maryland is an independent, educational, non-profit organization designed to inform top-level executives, from the public and private sectors, about the critical issues, challenges and opportunities facing Maryland and its regions.  Griffin, Diriker and Mommé were among 52 leaders selected to participate in the eight-month program.

At SU, Griffin provides administrative oversight of SU’s new Doctorate of Nursing Practice, 14 master’s degrees and five post-secondary certificate programs. He also develops research policy, acts as the leading advocate for faculty and student research and scholarly activity, cultivates relationships with external funding sources and explores funding resources for graduate students.

At BEACON, Diriker advises a large number of private, public, and nonprofit sector organizations, specializing in the use of scenario analysis and in demographic, business and economic trend forecasting. He has served as the principal investigator on numerous grants and sponsored research projects, totaling over $6 million in awards. In addition to a book, he has authored many articles in academic and practitioner publications, and is a sought-after public speaker.

At the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Mommé oversees an annual campaign raising over $1 million for 60 community programs in Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset and Dorchester Counties. In 2001, she led United Way to become the recipient of the largest Perdue-Kresge Challenge award, $1 million, to establish the “United Way Forever” endowment that has since grown to over $2.2 million. Momme’s leadership has led the local United Way to be the largest non-governmental funding source for local non-profits on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore.

Participants in Leadership Maryland attended a series of intense sessions statewide, focusing on issues such as economic development, education, health and human services, criminal and juvenile justice, environment, multiculturalism and diversity. More than 100 experts representing business, government, education, and the non-profit community served as panelists and guest speakers. Leadership Maryland is one of 34 state leadership programs nationwide and has graduated over 800 statewide leaders.

For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the ³ÉÈ˶¶ÒõWeb site at www.salisbury.edu or the United Way at .