Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Cuts Ribbon on High Ridge Center, Bringing New Life to an Important Community Building

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball joined the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Howard County, Inc. (NPHC Howard County) to celebrate its new home and the official reopening of Howard County’s High Ridge Center at 8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. The celebration recognized years of partnership, investment, and collaboration between the County and the Black Greek Letter organizations serving the community. Photos from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr website.

Originally constructed in 1962 as Rockland Elementary School, the High Ridge Center was decommissioned in 1982, and ownership was transferred from the Howard County Public School System to the County. Since 1979, the High Ridge Center’s lower floor has housed the Community Action Council of Howard County’s Head Start program, and since 1983, the High Ridge Center’s upper level has been the headquarters of the Howard County Arts Councill. In December of 2025 the Howard County Arts Council relocated its operations to the new Capitoline Center at the historic Circuit Courthouse building in Ellicott City, which has been transformed into an 80,000-square-foot facility dedicated to arts, culture, and history, the upper level recently became available for adaptive reuse. The lower level of the High Ridge Center will remain home to the Ellicott City Head Start program, which serves three- and four-year old children enrolled in Head Start. During the building renovation, the County added sprinkler systems and made facilities improvements for Head Start. Future renovations will include a new, geothermal energy system for the building and improvements to the Head Start playground.

The County entered into a formal Agreement of Lease with the nonprofit NPHC Howard County to lease the upper level for $1.00 for the term, March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, for use by  Howard County’s Black Greek Letter organizations: Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

"It was an absolute pleasure attending the grand opening of the High Ridge Center with the full support of every fraternity and sorority from the Divine Nine,” said County Council Chair, Opel Jones. “Starting as an idea from County Executive, Calvin Ball, advocacy from hundreds of D9 members in Howard County, to approving the funding as a Councilmember, and now to see this come to fruition, is one of the most memorable moments for me in my 28 years as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. To know that there is now a central location for D9 members to meet, plan, and strategize to uplift our communities and help those that need it most, for generations to come, is indeed heartwarming."

Each organization will have a dedicated office for their operations. The facility also features two shared multipurpose rooms that may be utilized for meetings and events. NPHC Howard County will work with additional nonprofit partners to make available space within the building for their use. 

Here’s what others had to say: 

• Dr. Anthony Brown, Vice President, Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.: “Today, this facility represents more than brick and mortar. It represents THE infrastructure for OUR COLLECTIVE impact.”
• Darshal Smith, NPHC Howard County Chapter President and Omega Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: “This is what fraternity and sorority looks like beyond colors and letters, it is leadership, policy, and transformation. We are not guests in history. We are architects of it.” 
• Tom Tucker, Polemarch, Columbia (MD) Alumni Chapter. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.: "The High Ridge Facility is just a place for us to call home, it is a Community Hub where we will be able to enrich the lives of all Howard County residents." 
• Earl Jefferson, President Tau Pi Chapter mega Psi Phi, Fraternity. Inc.: “This facility is an example of what happens when vision meets leadership, parterships replace silos, and when community comes first” 
• Samantha Phillips-Chester, 1st VP Columbia (MD) Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: “the Columbia Maryland Alumnae Chapter has consistently transformed ideals into action. We are proud not only of what we have accomplished, but of HOW we have accomplished it—together."
• Shannon O. Hayes, President, Zeta Alpha Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc: “Our collective charge is simple, yet profound: to build upon the rich legacies of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated; our beloved sister organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated; and each of our Divine Nine partners. We must ensure that this center stands as a living, breathing hub of unity — a place where collaboration is intentional, where impact is measurable, and where service is not merely performed, but unmistakably embodied."
• Cassandra Dorsey, President, Lambda Gamma Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.: "During Black History Month, we are reminded that our ancestors didn’t wait for permission to make change. They organized, collaborated, and built systems of support. This partnership with the NPHC of Howard County, and specifically with our Zeta Alpha Sigma brothers, is a continuation of that legacy."
• Glynnis Jones, Eta Zeta Sigma Chapter Basileus, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.: “In March, Eta Zeta Sigma will celebrate 20 years of service to Howard County. Two decades of dedication have prepared us for moments like this — moments like this, when our sorority’s motto of “Greater Service, Greater Progress” - can come to life!” 
• Carl Taylor, Polaris, The Eastern Region of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.: “As we cut this ribbon, we are not just opening doors—we are opening possibilities. We reaffirm our commitment to work together, to serve together, and to grow together. May this facility stand as a symbol of excellence, empowerment, and enduring unity.”
• Trent Williams Sire Archon, Sigma Pi Phi, Fraternity, (Boule): “Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Gamma Boulé is excited to be a part of High Ridge Center. This is more than the renovation of a building. It is the unveiling of a vision—one that challenges what has been done, and boldly defines what can be done. This facility represents innovation in action. It was imagined not just to meet the community’s needs of today, but to anticipate tomorrow’s opportunities. It brings together fraternity and sorority organizations deeply committed to making a difference in Howard County, the opportunity for collaboration and serving the community in a way that has never been done before. And that is what makes the High Ridge Center so powerful.”
• Samantha Cobb, Director Howard County Department of General Services: "This space is more than brick and mortar, it is a declaration that we will build, serve, and sustain our own communities together."