St. Mary's County Youth Advisory Commission finalizes presentation to commissioners, elects vice chair

The St. Mary's County Youth Advisory Commission on April 19 agreed to finalize a presentation for the St. Mary's County Commissioners by April 27 and elected Rebecca Major as vice chair during a virtual meeting.

The decision matters because the commission plans to present a draft of proposed youth programs — including environmental education, leadership training and volunteer opportunities — to the county commissioners, potentially opening space for formal partnerships with schools and county offices.

Commission Chair Mari opened the discussion of the presentation and shared a draft slide deck and a Jamboard for collaborative edits. Lataye Reeves, staff support liaison for the Youth Advisory Commission, said, "Well, first, let me say, Mari, job well done, job well done. Thank you so much for, sharing all of that wonderful information. I'm very, very excited, for the commission." The draft currently comprises six slides and covers the commission's history, goals in education and social justice, proposed programs (including a summer cultural program called Youth Global Green Advocators and a student-run volunteer effort called CHOICE), and proposed connections with local schools and parks.

Members agreed to a deadline of April 27 to finalize the presentation so the commission can be prepared if the St. Mary's County Commissioners accept an invitation to meet with the Youth Advisory Commission on May 3. Reeves told members the invitation to commissioners was sent March 26 and the commission is awaiting replies; she asked Mari to resend the slide and Jamboard links to ensure all members can contribute. Mari instructed members to post suggestions on the Jamboard or email the group so staff can consolidate edits.

Discussion at the meeting covered program logistics and outreach. Members discussed partnering with school officials and the student representative on the school board, offering paid internships (funding for internships was discussed as a point that still needs to be resolved and was not specified), and using social media and school newsletters to recruit participants. One member reported a teacher at her school volunteered to help organize summer activities once in-person opportunities increase. The draft presentation also mentions environmental engagement projects, leadership-training tracks, volunteer placements at local sites such as ELMS and county parks, and broader goals for sustaining programs after current leaders graduate.

During the same meeting the commission held officer elections. Mari moved "I motion to accept, Rebecca to be the vice chair." Lamont Lee seconded and said, "Yes. I accept." The commission approved Rebecca Major as vice chair by voice; a formal roll-call tally was not recorded in the transcript.

Before adjourning, the commission confirmed the April 27 deadline for finalizing the presentation and agreed that Mari or youth leaders would present the deck to the commissioners if they accept the May 3 invitation. Members agreed to continue using the Jamboard and shared email thread for collaboration. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn that was seconded and approved by voice.

The commission did not adopt any binding county policy or allocate funds during the meeting; members and staff noted that funding and formal program sponsorship would require separate follow-up with county departments and potential sponsors.