Maryland Lieutenant Governor and Comptroller to Open Howard County's First Public Trades Center

Ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the Cathy and Danny Bell Workforce Development and Trades Center at Howard Community College (HCC).

COLUMBIA, MD, Nov. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT:            Ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the Cathy and Danny Bell Workforce Development and Trades Center at Howard Community College (HCC). The 51,000-square-foot facility is Howard County's first public skilled trades training hub. The morning will begin with a legislative breakfast and conclude with the ribbon-cutting ceremony and building tours.

WHO:             Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller
                       Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman
                       Howard Community College President Daria J. Willis
                      Cathy and Danny Bell, namesake donors
                      Members of the Maryland General Assembly and the Howard County Council

WHEN:          Monday, Nov. 16, 2026
                      Legislative Breakfast: 8:30 a.m.
                      Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony: 9:30 a.m.
                      Program Concludes: 10:30 a.m.
                      Self-Guided Building Tours for the Public: 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:       Cathy and Danny Bell Workforce Development and Trades Center
                      Howard Community College
                      10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044
                      (PARKING LOT B)

VISUALS:
                     Ribbon-cutting ceremony with Maryland's lieutenant governor and comptroller.
                     Six-bay auto lab configured for gas, diesel, hybrid, electric, and heavy-duty vehicles.
                     Welding and mechatronics labs with industry-standard equipment.
                     Two-story multipurpose lab.

INTERVIEWS:
                      HCC’s President Daria J. Willis and trades faculty will be available following the ceremony.                 
                      Advance interviews can be arranged. 

RSVP:
                      Media should RSVP to jcarter2@howardcc.edu by Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m.

                                                                                                              ###

About HCC
Since 1970, Howard Community College (HCC) has been a preferred college choice for students and families in Howard County, Maryland. HCC offers associate degree and certificate programs, as well as workforce development training and continuing education classes, to nearly 22,000 credit and noncredit students each year. The college has been recognized as one of the nation’s top community colleges in two leading 2025–2026 rankings, named the #1 Community College in Maryland and the #1 Community College in the Baltimore Area by Niche, and ranked #32 nationally by WalletHub in its annual Best & Worst Community Colleges study.
                          

Jarrett Carter
Howard Community College
443-518-4073 
JCarter2@HowardCC.edu