Leadership Profiles

Debra Hettleman Plant – Executive Director, Building STEPS, Inc.
Debra Plant serves as the Executive Director of Building STEPS Inc. where she designed the educational and professional development program that exposes bright, underserved students to science and technology based careers, and helps them excel in these fields where minorities are overwhelmingly underrepresented. Ms. Plant develops and maintains corporate and institutional partners, and oversees all aspects of the organization.

Prior to launching Building STEPS in 1999, Ms. Plant, as the principal of The Morlan Group, LLC provided redevelopment consulting services throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. She has ten years of revitalization and redevelopment experience as the commercial revitalization specialist for Baltimore County’s Department of Economic Development and Office of Community Conservation, the housing development specialist for Neighborhood Rental Services, Inc. and assistant development director for Struever Bros., Eccles, and Rouse, Inc.

Active in the charitable and philanthropic community, including The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, she serves as a Board Member on the Baltimore Jewish Council. She is a Leadership Baltimore County alum. Ms. Plant serves also on the Board of Trustees of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, Chairing the Committee on Trustees.
Ms. Plant received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.

HENRY SNYDER – Program Officer, Building STEPS, Inc.
Henry Snyder joined the staff of Building STEPS Inc. in 2007, assuming responsibility for program design, management and implementation. Mr. Snyder collaborates with partner organizations to coordinate the monthly seminars that Building STEPS students attend their junior year, as well as planning and supervising the college workshops students attend the autumn of their senior year. Additionally, he is working to expand the support services offered to Building STEPS alumni attending college.

Prior to joining Building STEPS, Mr. Snyder has been employed as a professional school counselor in the Baltimore County Public School System and a document specialist/editor for Richey International, a specialized publications company.

Mr. Snyder received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and a Masters of Education in School Counseling from Loyola College.

MATHEW R. WEINBERG – Chairman, Building STEPS, Inc.
Matthew R. Weinberg joined THE WEINBERG GROUP in 1986 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, the firm expanded its range of services and opened offices in Brussels, Paris, New York, and San Francisco. Mr. Weinberg’s emphasis is in compliance and quality management.

He founded Building STEPS, a non-profit organization providing talented, historically underserved students exposure to career opportunities in science.

Mr. Weinberg received a M.S. in Industrial Administration and a B.S. in Administration and Management Science with a double major in Economics from Carnegie-Mellon University.