Jacob Newman, the new director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, has been on the job a week and likes it already.
“I had the good fortune to meet several community members and other stakeholders. I have a daily shipment of emails and readings to catch up on,” he said. “It’s been fantastic.”
Newman is a Rhode Island native and graduate of the University of Rhode Island. When he first came to Montgomery County, he saw two entities of similar geographic size and population numbers, but that were also very different.
He joined the Latin American Youth Center in Washington about 15 years ago for his first job in area.
What he thought would be a short-term job “really became my life’s work and my passion in the community for over a decade plus.”
In that position, Newman worked with homeless youth as well in transition programs for immigrants (he’s the son of immigrants himself).
He came to Montgomery County with the LYAC/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers and eventually became managing director for the Montgomery County Conservation Corps.
The corps was a county entity at the risk of being shut down until being awarded in 2013 to LYAC/MMYC, in partnership with the state’s Department of Natural Resources, via an RFP process.
“With that, I put on a workforce development hat and an education hat, and found an incredible passion not only working with young people, but translating that into my love for the outdoors, workforce development, education and wrap-around social and emotional supports that the program offers,” he said.
Later Newman implemented the River Corps—locally and nationally recognized innovative green infrastructure job training programs, according to county press release.
Locally, Newman is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and serves on the board of directors for Nonprofit Montgomery and Safe Silver Spring.
In his new position, Newman sees great possibilities.
“Personally, it presents incredible opportunities to learn and grow,” he said. “It brings my orientation working with the community youth, with families, to a much broader landscape. . .a different sector of residents, business community, colleagues across government and really, across the region, as Silver Spring, in my eyes, is the center of this region.
“I felt that there was the opportunity to lend whatever small bit of experience I’ve had in Montgomery County over the past 7 years,” he added, “and, hopefully, elevate the amazing things and the amazing people that make up Silver Spring.”
Photo by Mike Diegel
I am thrilled to embark on a new path as the next Regional Services Center Director for Silver Spring. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. https://t.co/UF5M8otLKJ
— Jacob Newman (@NewmanJacob11) August 3, 2021