Calvin Ball, III

Early life, and education

As a native of Catonsville, Maryland and a resident of Columbia, Maryland, Ball served as a Howard County Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. Committed to serving the community, he served three terms on the Oakland Mills Village Board and was the first Community Organizer in Howard County. As Community Organizer, he facilitated neighborhood revitalization. Ball was also a member of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year Committee and the Chamber’s Workforce Readiness Committee.

Ball volunteered with the Howard County Public School System Leadership Task Force and Student Performance Review Committee. He has over eight years of experience in the field of higher education. Over the last six years, he has facilitated classes in subjects such as Critical Thinking, Ethics, and Political Science. In addition to instruction, he has assessed, trained and mentored new faculty members.

A certified mediator since 1998, Ball has worked as a mediator for the Community Mediation Program and the Maryland State Human Relations Commission. He also served as a mediation supervisor for the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Ball earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion from Towson State University, a Master of Arts in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore, where he was nominated for the Spirit of Excellence Award, and a Doctor of Education from Morgan State University. He is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society in Education.

Faculty member and university lecturer

The Honorable Doctor Calvin Ball has been involved in higher education since 1999. Dr. Ball is a learning-centered servant-leader who believes his top priority is to ensure that he creates an environment where every student can and does learn. His appreciation for the roles that both student and facilitator play in the process of learning has been molded by his educational background, his professional experience and his temperament.

Dr. Ball has facilitated learning for adults both face-to-face and online at a variety of institutions including American University, University of Phoenix, Baltimore City Community College, Towson University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Morgan State University. Ball has taught many undergraduate and graduate level courses that include: Conflict Management Systems, Contemporary Political Thought, Critical Thinking and Decision Making, Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making, Cultural Diversity, Ethics and Public Policy, Ethics in Management, Human Relations and Organizational Behavior, Introduction to Ethics, Managerial Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Organizational Ethics, Regulation and Conflict Management in the Workplace, State and Local Political Processes, Theory, Principles, and Practices of Dispute Resolution, Wealth and Power in America.

Dr. Ball has been the director of the Complete College Baltimore at Baltimore County Community College since 2014, where he advocates and coordinates college-wide efforts to promote student success, persistence, and graduation.

Political life

In April 2006, Ball was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Howard County Council to represent the 2nd Councilmanic District of Howard County. Ball retained the seat in the November election. He has been an active Democrat, serving two terms as President of the Young Democrats of Howard County.

Ball was an early and active supporter of Barack Obama's campaign for President of the United States. He served as a member of the Maryland for Obama Statewide Steering Committee led by Congressman Elijah Cummings and Attorney General of Maryland Doug Gansler.

In 2006, Ball introduced legislation regarding the goal of Howard County to provision housing for all income levels throughout the county. Ball encouraged developers to provide a full spectrum of affordable housing and give the County options to help create and preserve affordable housing in his proposal. Ball saw that as the County's population swelled, the need for dispersed affordable housing for people of all income levels was vital. Ball's proposal included: providing preferences for those who work and reside in Howard County, establishing a right of first refusal for tenants and the County for the purchase of rental units when the owner offers the units for sale and establishing notice requirements for rental housing owners.

Between 2006 and 2007 Calvin Ball was the Community Organizer of the Oakland Mills Village Revitalization Plan. The Revitalization Plan’s vision was to establish the Oakland Mills Village Center as a “true destination with a clear identity that is cohesive and well planned, while supporting thriving businesses and serving as a real center of community life”. The Revitalization Plan’s goals were to energize the Village Center, increase communication in the village, support business in Oakland Mills, and support community activities. They classified their strategies to reach these goals as simple, moderate, and significant improvements that could help benefit the village center. Ball’s tasks included documenting overall success for each month, progress towards goals by the various committees, progress towards goals by the Community Organizer, plans for the next month for committees and plans for the next month for the Community Organizer.

In July 2007, Ball introduced legislation, which required some county contractors to pay their workers at least $12.41 an hour. The proposal applied to contractors that had five or more workers and made at least $100,000 in business annually with Howard County. However, the legislation exempted nonprofit organizations doing business with the county. Ball said to the Washington Post that "the fiscal impact is quite negligible, but what it can do for a family is invaluable," and that the "Government is there to help people who may not be able to help themselves."

In addition, Ball is serving as Chairperson of the Zoning Board and as Vice Chairperson of the Board of License Commissioners, also known as the Liquor Board.

Legislation

For more information about The Howard County Council's Legislation visit Howard County Council Archived Legislation

Financial literacy

In April 2007, Ball launched his first Financial Literacy Summit in Howard County, Maryland with at least 75 financial literacy stakeholders ranging from bankers, mortgage lenders, and financial education leaders and supporters. Ball launched a county-wide movement to expand financial wellness in Howard County.

The following year, on April 19, 2008, Council Member Ball initiated his second financial literacy event. This time he expanded the summit to include a wide array of financial education programs and services that would assist those families who had begun to feel hardship because of the economic slowdown. To help citizens understand the future of those services, Ball held a panel of people involved in financial services in Howard County.

"Many families today are living paycheck-to-paycheck with no financial cushion in case of emergencies," said Ball during his testimony before the General Assembly to foster financial literacy in the state. "The consequences of a lack of financial literacy include mountains of debt, bankruptcies, broken homes and shattered dreams." - The Business Monthly, September 2008. In partnership with Howard Community College, Calvin Ball hosted the 2009 3rd Annual Financial Literacy Summit event in order to inspire participants, of all ages, to set and achieve their financial goals.The summit had features and workshops, which included: Foreclosure prevention resources, managing financial stress, obtaining a free credit report, retirement & saving strategies, and healthy cooking ideas on a budget.

Men's Health Fair

Alongside Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, and Congressman Elijah Cummings, Councilman Calvin Ball co-hosted the Howard County 1st Annual Men’s Health Fair, which promoted health and fitness awareness to the men of Maryland. The health fair included fitness demonstrations from local gyms and fitness programs, free health screenings (dental, HIV, BMI, Blood Pressure), and a variety of show cases that advertised their healthy products or services.

Achievements