Save the Date for Changemakers 2026!
Thursday, October 1, 2026
M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
Changemakers: Celebrating Environmental Leaders is Maryland LCV’s signature event.
Every year, we bring together 400 of Maryland’s most influential elected officials, business leaders, non-profit partners, and environmental advocates for an inspiring program, celebratory awards presentation, and a must-attend networking reception. Changemakers is the place to build community, foster collaboration, and drive progress for environmental solutions. Event proceeds support Maryland LCV’s work for equitable and just political actions for clean water, healthy air and climate resilient communities.
Sponsorships are now available! Tickets will go on sale August 1.
Attendee Information
Tickets
Changemakers tickets are now available!
Individual tickets are $200. Tickets for young professionals (21-30) are $100. Sponsorships and ticket sales are non-refundable.
All guests must pre-purchase a ticket and be pre-registered. Upon arrival at the event, you will check-in at the registration table for your name badge.
Closed captioning will be available for the program.
FAQs
The Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center
University of Maryland, College Park
7801 Alumni Drive
College Park, MD 20742
5:00pm – Doors open and welcome cocktails served
5:30pm – Program including awards presentation and panel discussion
6:30pm – Networking reception with appetizers and beverages
8:30pm – Event concludes
Changemakers sponsorships and ticket sales are non-refundable. In the event we need to cancel the Changemakers event, due to health, safety, weather, or other conditions outside of our control, the event will not be rescheduled. Changemakers sponsorships and ticket sales support the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Inc., a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. A gift to Maryland LCV is not tax-deductible as a charitable donation.
Yes. You may transfer your ticket to someone else, or you can donate your ticket(s) to the All-Access Fund, which enables frontline and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community members, social justice leaders, local environmentalists, business owners, and partner organizations to attend the Changemakers event. Please email us at changemakers@mdlcv.org. If transferring your ticket to someone else, please provide their full name and email address. All attendees must be pre-registered.
Business cocktail attire is recommended for this event.
Free parking is available after 4:00pm in Surface Lot Z or 1b, located behind the Riggs Alumni Center. Paid parking is available any time in the Stadium Drive Garage and the Union Lane Garage for $3 per hour. Please see the map below (Riggs Alumni Center highlighted in red), or visit the Riggs website for more information.
There are two bike racks close to the Alumni Center. One is in front of the south side entrance of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The other is in front of the farthest right parking section in Lot Z. Locations of bike racks are circled in red on the map below.
There will be an array of delicious appetizers available during the reception, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Stationary Appetizers
- Hot Maryland Crab Dip [gf] – offered with Old Bay kettle chips [gf, vg] and toasted baguette [vg]
- Sagamore Rye French Onion Dip [vt] – offered with Old Bay kettle chips [gf, vg] and toasted baguette [vg]
- Brown Sugar Old Bay Cocktail Impossible Meatballs [vg]
- Seasonal Vegetables – with Green Goddess dip [gf, vg]
- Gluten-free rice crackers available with all appetizers
Passed Appetizers
- Parmesan Arancini – with sundried tomato aioli [vt]
- Smoked Cauliflower Soup [gf, vg] – offered with cheddar cheese pastry straw [vt]
- Elote Cup – street corn salad with vegan cheese, crema, and cilantro [vg]
- Shrimp and Grits Spoon [gf]
- Mini Duck Flatbread – with arugula gremolata and date syrup
Short Plate Stations
- Blackened Chesapeake Catfish Tacos – with charred corn, avocado, and crema
- Spring Vegetable Ratatouille – over parmesan polenta [gf, vt]
- Fried Mushroom Po-Boy Slider – with shredded lettuce, pickles, and spicy aioli, served with sweet potato fries [vg]
Signature Cocktail
- Changemakers Mover & Shaker – Vodka or bourbon, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer served over ice and garnished with a lime wedge and fresh mint
Maryland LCV Education Fund strives to make our events accessible to those who want to attend. This event meets the following Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards:
- Accessible restrooms
- Mainly flat ground
- Dedicated seating
- Wide doorways and walkways
- Handicap accessible parking
Accessible parking spaces are available on the side of the Riggs Alumni Center building off of Alumni Drive, near the entrance to the Stadium Drive Garage. You may also utilize the drive in the front of the Riggs Alumni Center (Alumni Drive) for curbside drop off.
In addition, we are providing live closed captioning for the program. Sensory-friendly area is designated as the Chaney Library during the networking reception. Straws will be available at the bar.
To request additional accommodations (language interpretation, dietary considerations, etc.), please contact Shivaugn Ahern, Maryland LCV Managing Director of Operations, at sahern@mdlcv.org or 410-280-9855 at least one week prior to the event to request accommodations in order for you to fully participate in our event. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.
2025 Panel Discussion
The Importance of State Leadership in Protecting Maryland’s Environment
Josh Kurtz
Secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
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Vernice Miller-Travis
Executive Vice President for Environmental and Social Justice, Metropolitan Group
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The Honorable John Sarbanes
Retired U.S. Representative of Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District
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Kate Stewart
President, Montgomery County Council
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As federal protections face significant setbacks, state leadership for our environment is more important than ever before. This panel explores how Maryland can continue to lead the way through advancing policies that protect our environment, grow our economy, and build climate resilient and thriving communities. From climate action to environmental justice, panelists will discuss how individuals, communities and all levels of government can support environmental sustainability and economic prosperity and ensure no one is left behind.
2025 Honorees
2025 Legislator of the Year
MD Senator Guy Guzzone
(District 13)
Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chair
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2025 Legislator of the Year
MD Delegate Ben Barnes
(District 21)
House Appropriations Committee Chair
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The Legislator of the Year Awards recognize the leadership of both committee chairs, along with their subcommittee chairs Senator Michael Jackson and Delegate Courtney Watson, in protecting environmental priorities during one of the most challenging budget years in Maryland’s recent history. Despite fiscal constraints, the budget committee leadership preserved $100 million in capital funding for clean energy projects at public schools and state facilities, maintained core funding for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coast Bays Restoration Fund, and protected other key conservation initiatives from deeper cuts.
John V. Kabler Environmental Leadership Award
Honoring YOU: Maryland's Unsung Environmental Heroes!
This year's Kabler Award honors the voters, advocates, donors, and community members whose dedication to the conservation movement has created real change. That's YOU! Every call you've made to your legislator. Every letter to the editor you've written. Every time you've shown up, spoken out, or stepped forward for Maryland's environment – that's what we're celebrating at this year’s Changemakers. Whether through lobby visits, canvassing, or simply making your voice heard, you're building the collective power that protects Maryland's land, air, water, and communities.
Thank you to all of our sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor
Headquartered in Maryland, Chaberton Energy is a public benefit corporation developing community-scale energy projects, with a focus on distributed solar and energy storage.
More sponsors coming soon!
☀️ Solar Champions ☀️
Changemakers
Sustainability Leaders
Green Advocates
Eco Heroes
Partners
Themed Sponsors
All-Access Fund Sponsor
Clean Energy Sponsor
Station Sponsors
Bar Sponsor
Dessert Sponsor
Oyster Bar Sponsor
Sustainable Food Sponsor
Carbon Offset Sponsor
Public Official Sponsors
Level I
District 20 Team, Montgomery County: Senator Will Smith, Delegate Lorig Charkoudian, Delegate David Moon, and Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins
Delegate Mary Lehman, District 21, Anne Arundel & Prince George's Counties
Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, District 41, Baltimore City
Level II
Senator Ben Kramer, District 19, Montgomery County
Dan Schwartz, Candidate for Congress, Maryland's First District
Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, District 19, Montgomery County
In-Kind Sponsors
