Building STEPS is pleased to announce that Dr. Richard Edlow has been named Chair of the board of directors. In his role, Edlow will oversee the board’s mission driven approach to strategic planning, fiduciary responsibility and organizational effectiveness and outcomes.

Edlow has served on Building STEPS board for 10 years and succeeds Dr. Greg Kelly of Sobran, Inc. Edlow is one of the founding partners of Katzen Eye Group, Maryland’s largest private eye care practice, and has been recognized for his expertise in eye care management systems and managed care. He previously served as president of the Maryland Optometric Association where he was voted “Optometrist of the Year” in 1992 and “Health Care Professional of the Year” for the State of Maryland in 1989 by the Governor’s Committee on the Handicapped.

“I became involved with Building STEPS after hearing the positive stories of its students overcoming the challenges of growing up in Baltimore City and achieving success by obtaining a college education,” said Edlow. “Each and every story gives me hope that one’s zip code does not have to determine one’s level of success.”

Edlow graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in economics and went on to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry where he earned a degree in visual sciences and Doctor of Optometry.

Building STEPS is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit built on one simple principle; a college education changes a person’s life. Multiyear programming exposes Baltimore City high school students to unimaginable STEM career opportunities, links education to professional opportunity, and ensures students earn a college degree as the first step in reaching their newfound STEM career goals.