It's back-to-school time for Schlossenberg at USG

Veteran of Montgomery business scene joins Rockville university center

After 21 years in the retail industry, followed by 18 in the newspaper business, and countless hours volunteering time on boards of directors of businesses and community organizations, he now combines many of his interests as the school's first director of development and community partnerships.

"For whatever reason, education has always been at the forefront of my interests," said Schlossenberg, 61. "This job was almost a natural progression in my career … It seemed to be a great match for what my interests were and what I had previously been doing."

Schlossenberg will oversee the development and maintenance of partnerships with other colleges, industries and organizations in Maryland.

"Tying all the institutions together – government, education, business – just makes good sense," Schlossenberg said. "All these working in tandem is the best thing for the community."

These partnerships are integral to the university's mission, a regional higher education center that does not award degrees but works through nine other University System of Maryland schools to provide programs for local students.

"The idea of regional centers is not new, but no one's doing it on the scale we are," said marketing communications director Joe Bucci. "We are truly a leading-edge model for the country."

The system offers the final two years of a bachelor's degree and graduate degrees in more than 60 programs, which are chosen based on workforce demand.

"We're constantly building partnerships to make sure we're providing the needed talent with our higher education training," Bucci said.

Schlossenberg's job includes finding those needed programs and developing partnerships to offer classes in them through the Rockville center.

"One big thing is to introduce the universities to the different communities here the nonprofits, the business community, the government community – and show them what we have to offer," said Schlossenberg, who worked with many sectors of the same organizations in his previous position as director of corporate affairs for The Gazette in Gaithersburg. "The Universities at Shady Grove is fairly new in the community. It's a diamond in the community that the community is unaware is here."

Stewart Edelstein, the Shady Grove center's executive director and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University System of Maryland, said the board needed stronger ties with businesses and saw the new position as a way to meet the need.

"We knew we needed a better connection with businesses, more support for fundraising," said Edelstein, who served with Schlossenberg at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, where they co-chaired the education and workforce preparation committee.

"Bill is the perfect person for what we're doing," Edelstein said. "He clearly has a strong commitment to education and a deep knowledge of the county and the organizations in it."

"Bill Schlossenberg's combination of humor and leadership made him one of our most valuable and influential board members," said Georgette "Gigi" Godwin, president and CEO of the chamber, in a statement. "He made a significant contribution to the chamber's strategic growth and direction."

Schlossenberg's new job is ideal because "he essentially knows everybody around – and all in a positive way," said William G. Robertson, CEO of Adventist HealthCare, who has worked with Schlossenberg on the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Foundation and the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children.

"It's just natural students graduate here, find good-paying jobs quickly without having to leave the county, and Montgomery County won't have to look outside for its workforce," Schlossenberg said. "What a great story when it all comes together."

Schlossenberg said these partnerships are also vital to another of his goals: creating more scholarships.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Schlossenberg says education has always been a passion. One of his more rewarding activities, he said, was building The Gazette's mentoring program that paired employee volunteers with students. Schlossenberg was a mentor himself at Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring from 1997 to 2007 and served on the business advisory council at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown.

His wife, Ann, was a teacher in Montgomery County for several years. They have a daughter, Lauren, son, Mark, and three grandchildren.

For relaxation, Schlossenberg enjoys his grandchildren, reading history and political science and being a "huge fan" of the Washington Nationals.

At Shady Grove, Schlossenberg said, "We can make sure every kid gets an opportunity to grow and thrive – the only way to do that is through education. A good education leads to so many wonderful things."