The Daily Record selected three local women to receive one of the 2021 Leading Women awards. Part of this year’s selection were M.Kendall Ludwig of Oakland, Emily Newman-Edwards of Grantsville, and Laura Freeman Legge of Westernport.
The Daily Record’s Leading Women awards honor women who are 40 years of age or younger for the accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. Winners were selected for the honor based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to inspiring change.
They were selected by previous Leading Women and Maryland’s Top 100 Women winners.
“The 2021 Leading Women are extraordinary. They are juggling tough jobs, family commitments, community service, mentoring, education and a world that has been impacted by a global pandemic,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, senior group publisher of The Daily Record. “These young leaders are the future, and The Daily Record is honored to recognize their accomplishments.”
M.Kendall Ludwig, President and principal designer, CurlyRed
M. Kendall Ludwig founded web design firm CurlyRed 14 years ago in Baltimore, creating “usable art” that lays bare the beauty in ordinary things.
She successfully transitioned the business to Mountain Lake Park in Garrett County, where she lives with her husband and two daughters and serves as the president of the Garrett County Arts Council Board.
“I hope I am a strong role model to our two young daughters, Margot and Juliette,” Ludwig said. “I want them to see that it’s possible to do what you love while maintaining a work-life balance that prioritizes family and self-care.” She is outspoken about women’s rights and the rights of underrepresented populations in the community and is involved in the newly formed NAACP Garrett County Chapter, as well as a member at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
Ludwig earned her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Towson University. She considers her most significant professional accomplishment to be founding a long-lasting business that creates good design for everyone, cares about every client, and fully provides for her family.
“I hope that I have helped make Garrett County, MD a more welcoming place to live, work and play for all people — first and foremost as business owner,” Ludwig said.
Emily Newman–Edwards, Director of Operations, Fronterra Group: Savage River Lodge & Cornucopia Café
Emily Newman-Edwards objects to the perception that women cannot have a successful career, involved homelife and other extra-curricular endeavors. “It is possible to have it all; it just takes a lot of work,” said the director of operations for Fronterra Group, overseeing the Savage River Lodge & Cornucopia Café in the Garrett County town of Grantsville.
Newman-Edwards is a mother of four children ages 4 and younger and at work she is committed to making sure she is the best at what she does. She volunteers with a program that pairs professional adult women with teenage girls identified as at-risk or disadvantaged for counseling.
She is in her second term on the Grantsville Town Council and enjoys working on economic development and arts development in the community. In 2023 after her current council term is over, she plans to run for mayor.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Point Park University, and at the Fronterra group she has taken the Cornucopia Café from an idea to a full-blown destination.
“We created the entire concept from scratch, did the interior design, menu creation, and all parts through today — being open six years. Throughout that time we’ve opened two retail stores and created our catering business as well,” she said.
Laura Freeman Legge, Mayor, Town of Westernport
Laura Freeman Legge was the first woman elected mayor in Westernport when she won in July 2019. “I feel I have restored order and organization to the town of Westernport,” she said. “The Luke Mill closure was devastating to the communities in Maryland and West Virginia. I’ve successfully negotiated contracts with nearby owners to provide clean drinking water where the mill used to provide it.”
Legge has also successfully applied for more than $18 million in water contracts and grants to reduce the impact of water leaks in the town’s old infrastructure. She is an Allegany County circuit rider for the Maryland Rural Development Corporation and a barista at Queen’s Point Coffee. She also heads the trail development committee to extend the GAP Trail through the Georges Creek Valley.
“I hope that my success in local government at such a young age inspires others to become more involved in the future of their communities,” Legge said. “My sense of adventure and commitment to the environment carries over from my personal to my professional life in hopes that future generations may enjoy and prosper here.”
The winners were honored on Dec. 7 at a virtual celebration. Each of the winners were celebrated for their achievements through video storytelling. Guests had the opportunity to participate in the program with their congratulations and cheers using social media platforms from their homes or offices.
Winners were also profiled in a special magazine that was inserted into the Dec. 8 issue of The Daily Record and available online at www.TheDailyRecord.com.
Sponsors of The Daily Record’s 2021 Leading Women awards include Recognition and Diamond Sponsor Keswick and Virtual Celebration Sponsor Epsilon Registration.
About The Daily Record
Celebrating 133 years of journalistic excellence, The Daily Record is a multimedia news source that publishes a print and online edition five days a week and breaks news daily on its website, TheDailyRecord.com. In addition, The Daily Record publishes more than 30 special products a year including Women Who Lead, Doing Business in Maryland, Way to Be and Expanding Opportunities. The Daily Record also honors leading Marylanders through nine annual awards events including Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Influential Marylanders and Most Admired CEOs. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. The Daily Record is part of BridgeTower Media, one of the country’s leading business-to-business media companies with more than 40 print and digital publications in more than 25 U.S. markets.