Pittman and Friends Podcast

Like all jurisdictions, Anne Arundel County has communities facing complicated social and economic issues. But we also have something rarer: people who keep showing up. On this episode of the Pittman and Friends podcast, County Executive Steuart Pittman sits down with Dr. Shawn Ashworth - a retired educator and licensed therapist who decided that retirement wasn’t the end of service, it was a rewire toward the community work she couldn’t ignore. We talk about what she’s learned from 31 years inside schools and what changes when you step outside the system to meet families where they are. 
We get specific about Brooklyn Park, why poverty and high arrest rates still shape daily life, and why “consistency” can matter more than one-time charity. Dr. Ashworth breaks down Food 4 Thought Community Outreach Services and its core pillars: housing, health and nutrition, counseling, and jobs. We also dig into community schools and why making the school a true neighborhood hub can lift attendance and outcomes, especially when families can access tutors, mentors, wellness supports, and county resources in one place. Wellness Wednesdays at Park Elementary becomes our case study, from cooking and dance to workshops on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and practical health services. 
Then we zoom out to larger solutions: ENOUGH, Governor Wes Moore’s initiative to confront poverty through aligned institutions and resident-led work, plus the Two-Gen Brooklyn Park pilot roadmap designed to move families from crisis to stability with accountability, childcare support, and a path toward economic mobility. We close with the Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission (CRRC), where cannabis tax revenue is funding boots-on-the-ground nonprofits in zip codes most impacted by historic drug arrests, and why impact and partnerships matter when dollars are limited. 
Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about community change, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one investment you think your community needs most right now?
If you like the stories and insights in Pittman and Friends, be sure to follow the County Executive on social media and sign up for his Weekly Letter using the links below.

Weekly Letter: https://www.aacounty.org/county-executive/steuart-pittman/pittmans-pen/weekly-letter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACoExec

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AACoExec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AACoExec/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArundelTV

Housing is where everything else starts and when it gets too expensive, communities can start to break. In the latest episode of the Pittman and Friends podcast County Executive Steuart Pittman sits down with Erin Karpewicz, Executive Director of Arundel Community Development Services (ACDS), to get specific about how affordable housing and community development actually happen: who pays, how deals get structured, and why the market alone won’t build homes for every income level.
We talk through the full housing continuum, from homelessness prevention and Continuum of Care partners to the financing tools that make new affordable rental housing pencil out. We dig into the Housing Trust Fund, created with a dedicated revenue source, and why predictable local funding unlocks more projects. Erin explains how low-interest loans reduce private debt, how deed restrictions keep units affordable long term, what affordability targets like 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) mean for real working households, and how many units of affordable housing are currently in the pipeline.
The story is not just numbers. We revisit community-centered projects like the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center and the Severn Center, where years of advocacy turned into a thriving building because residents helped design it and saw themselves reflected in it. Then we look ahead to Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park and the Meyer Building, and discuss the plan to include affordable rentals and permanent supportive housing in the project design. 
If you care about housing affordability, first-time homebuyer support, permanent supportive housing, or building economically diverse communities, listen and share this conversation with someone who still thinks the problem is simple. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what creative solution to the affordable housing crisis you want to see next.
If you like the stories and insights in Pittman and Friends, be sure to follow the County Executive on social media and sign up for his Weekly Letter using the links below.

Weekly Letter: https://www.aacounty.org/county-executive/steuart-pittman/pittmans-pen/weekly-letter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACoExec

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AACoExec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AACoExec/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArundelTV

Congress isn’t just “too partisan” right now. It’s drifting away from the basic job the Constitution assigns it, and that has real consequences for Maryland families. In the latest episode of the Pittman and Friends podcast, County Executive Steuart Pittman sits down with Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth to talk candidly about what it’s like to serve in a triple minority, why it’s disheartening to watch the legislative branch stand down, and how she keeps her focus on delivering for the district anyway.
We get specific about what “wins” look like when the headlines are loud, but people’s needs are local. Congresswoman Elfreth walks us through her work on the House Armed Services Committee and why the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is still one of the last reliable vehicles for legislating. We cover district priorities tied to the Naval Academy, disaster mitigation planning, protections for Greenbury Point, and a bipartisan push to expand veteran access at military medical facilities that have unused capacity.
Then we head to the Chesapeake Bay, where policy meets dinner plates. Blue catfish are an invasive species hammering oysters and rockfish, and Congresswoman Elfreth explains a bipartisan approach that treats invasive aquatic species as a national problem, not just a regional headache. We also dig into the affordability issues people raise at town halls: childcare access, workforce shortages in hospitals, and the ripple effects of Medicaid cuts and rising Affordable Care Act premiums that can flood already strained emergency rooms.
Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What issue should Congress tackle first to make life more affordable?
If you like the stories and insights in Pittman and Friends, be sure to follow the County Executive on social media and sign up for his Weekly Letter using the links below.

Weekly Letter: https://www.aacounty.org/county-executive/steuart-pittman/pittmans-pen/weekly-letter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACoExec

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AACoExec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AACoExec/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArundelTV

What if there was an environmental restoration movement you could see from your backyard? In the latest episode of the Pittman & Friends podcast, County Executive Steuart Pittman sits down with Erik Michelsen, Deputy Director of Public Works and Chief of Watershed Protection and Restoration, to unpack how Anne Arundel County is working to clean our water, protect our forests, and implement smarter growth along the Chesapeake Bay.
Erik explains how a dedicated stormwater fee now funds rigorous maintenance of aging drains, ambitious stream retrofits in older neighborhoods, and living shorelines that replace failing bulkheads with native marsh. We revisit the Berrywood project that reconnected yellow perch spawning habitat, explore a South River marsh stabilization that could reuse dredge material to rebuild wetlands, and highlight strategic land preservation wins at Quiet Waters Retreat, Glebe Heights, and more. With the Green Infrastructure Master Plan guiding acquisitions and stronger forest conservation rules reshaping development, the county is stacking long-term water quality gains.
Community power runs through every story. The Watershed Stewards Academy trains residents to lead projects and pursue grants. We also touch on the new Whole Watershed Act, which is focusing state dollars on the Severn River watershed via a nonprofit-led coalition. Behind the scenes, tighter interagency coordination keeps land deals, tree protections, and restoration moving.
If you care about the Chesapeake Bay, our rivers, forests and open spaces—this conversation offers practical models and real results. Follow for more grounded stories of restoration, share this with a friend who loves the environment, and leave a review to help others find the show.
If you like the stories and insights in Pittman and Friends, be sure to follow the County Executive on social media and sign up for his Weekly Letter using the links below.

Weekly Letter: https://www.aacounty.org/county-executive/steuart-pittman/pittmans-pen/weekly-letter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACoExec

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AACoExec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AACoExec/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArundelTV

Questions with teeth make for the best conversations. That’s why in the latest episode of Pittman & Friends podcast County Executive Pittman held office hours to field your questions. He responds to questions about walkability on dangerous corridors, the push and pull of growth, and how to keep people safe without sacrificing momentum. From Route 3 to school zones, we unpack why retrofitting suburban roads is hard, expensive, and urgent—and how Safe Routes to School, Safe Routes to Transit, and the Walk & Roll plan knit together a safer, saner network for getting around.

County Executive Pittman explains why the county stepped away from using local resources to do ICE’s job for them, how local policing and the courts deliver accountability, and why outsourcing justice to ICE undermines public safety. Along the way, we talk about data-driven enforcement—red light and speed cameras under Vision Zero—and invite listeners to suggest camera locations where risk is real.

Costs are rising, wages lag, and residents feel the squeeze. County Executive Pittman acknowledges those headwinds and focuses on what local government can actually move: safer streets, fair housing, better transit, strong schools, and public places that welcome everyone. We close on common values—peace, empathy, and the rule of law—because durable progress rarely follows party lines. Have thoughts, critiques, or a story from your block? Subscribe, share with a friend, and send us your questions for the next office hours. Your voice shapes the next round.
If you like the stories and insights in Pittman and Friends, be sure to follow the County Executive on social media and sign up for his Weekly Letter using the links below.

Weekly Letter: https://www.aacounty.org/county-executive/steuart-pittman/pittmans-pen/weekly-letter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AACoExec

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AACoExec

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AACoExec/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArundelTV