Laura Weeldreyer

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Executive Director, Maryland Family Network

As a leader in the nonprofit space, Laura Weeldryer, Executive Director of the Maryland Family Network, understands the unique balance of competing needs and interests while also juggling ambiguity.

Weeldryer took over the helm of Maryland Family Network at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested her leadership strength. In addition to her and her team looking to take care of themselves and their families, they needed to find ways to continue to protect and serve the children and families that seek help from their organization. There, she learned to seek support and ask for help, not only from other leaders but also from her leadership staff.

That experience pushed her to become an even better leader today, helping her to learn to adapt constantly.

“In 2024, a successful leader has to be willing to dabble in reading the tea leaves, to practice futurism, and to try and (sometimes) fail. We are leading without a roadmap, and we have to know that we will make mistakes. Humility and a good sense of humor are the best tools in my toolbox,” Weeldryer said.

This willingness to try and lead without a roadmap put Weeldryer in the driver’s seat as the lead advocate for the Paid Family and Medical Leave for Maryland initiative. Working with a diverse network of partners, the Maryland Family Network and the Time to Care Coalition helped to pass one of the strongest paid leave laws in the nation.

“I am incredibly proud of the role Maryland Family Network played in this legislation. No one should ever have to choose between the job that they need and the family who they love,” Weeldryer said.