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Calvert County Commission for Women Recognizes CSM Director of Admissions Shelby Potts for Outstanding Leadership of United Way
Calvert County Commission for Women Recognizes CSM Director of Admissions Shelby Potts for Outstanding Leadership of United Way
College of Southern Maryland, (CSM) Director of Admissions Shelby Potts, of Owings, was honored March 12 during the Calvert County Commission for Women’s 19th Annual Women of the World Awards Celebration. Potts received the 2022 Outstanding Achievement for Business in recognition of her outstanding achievements in support of the Calvert County United Way.
Potts was one of 10 women receiving awards during the virtual ceremony that also celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX – the act which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Among special guests speaking at the well-attended ceremony and thanking the awardees for their contributions to Calvert County were Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Maryland Del. Rachel Jones, and 2012 Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame Recipient, former Calvert County Commission for Women Chair and former CSM Board of Trustee Margaret Dunkle.
For the last nine years, Potts has volunteered for the United Way of Calvert County (UWCC), providing physical, intellectual and financial leadership to the organization – thus serving all of the nonprofit agencies, organizations, and people who the United Way serves.
“Shelby has lived United Way’s mission to improve lives through ‘Education, Financial Stability and Health,’” shared CCW Commissioner Sierra Mitchell during the award presentation. “She joined the United Way Board as an agency representative for the Southern Maryland College Access Network. In succeeding years, she joined the executive team in 2015, served as governance chair, and held various offices including becoming chair in 2018.”
Potts led the Calvert County United Way board into the corporate integration process with the United Ways of St. Mary’s and Charles counties, and while she served as chair of the Integration Committee in the fall of 2021, the three organizations became the United Way of Southern Maryland (UWSOMD). She currently sits on the executive committee as immediate past chair. Locally, she also spearheaded the sale of the United Way House through this most difficult time in UWCC history
“But Shelby’s contributions do not only lie with her work with United Way,” Mitchell added. “Her professional passion has been to share the vast benefits of a post-secondary education for students. Earlier she was the executive director and pre-college advisor for the non-profit organization, Southern Maryland College Access Network, and ran programming in all high schools in Calvert County.”
“Shelby is tireless in her commitment to our students, and her community, and she has had such a positive impact on so many,” said CSM Associate Vice President of Marketing, Admission and Recruitment Avis McMillon. “We were thrilled to hear that Shelby was selected for this well-deserved recognition.”