Category: Community Engagement

Optimal, located technically in Riverdale Maryland, has helped to support the successful Great Riverdale Cares initiative organized by the Central Kenilworth Revitalization.

Mayor Alan Thompson and other members of the community including Optimal have come together to provide over 2,000 meals provided by local restaurants.  The fundraising goal of $10,000 by over $8,000 (as of May 27).  See: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gofundmecomgreater-riverdale-cares?mc_cid=f010bb2d1c&mc_eid=408413e2a9  

Optimal also supported students in need at the University of Maryland who are experiencing food and housing difficulties. To learn more please see: https://collegeparkpartnership.org/covid19resources/?mc_cid=f010bb2d1c&mc_eid=408413e2a9

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Bay. Besides raising and planting oysters on protected sanctuaries, planting trees and offering numerous educational programs, CBF strongly advocates for a science-based approach to reduce pollution to support a healthy, vibrant Chesapeake Bay, for us and future generations.For over 40 years the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has participated in educational programs that has trained over a million students on field programs and student leadership. The CBF provides high quality professional learning to meet the changing needs of teachers and schools across the Potomac through the Chesapeake class and programs.

The University of Maryland (UMD) Board of Trustees recently confirmed the nomination for Ms. Tracye Turner, the COO and Executive Vice President of Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal) as a member of its Board. Over the past 10 years, Ms. Turner has engaged and collaborated with many schools and departments at UMD, such as The Robert H. Smith School of Business, The School of Public Health, and The College of Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, and the School of Education. For example, in partnership with the Robert H. Smith School of Business Center for Health Information Decision Systems (CHIDS), Optimal recently won a contract with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide up to ten years of research and demonstrations. Ms. Turner is also a liaison to UMD Research Affiliate, the Fraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Design, for programming services. Most recently, Ms. Turner worked across several departments at UMD and other universities for social media analysis demonstrations on topic detection.

Tracye Turner and Optimal’s President and CEO Mark Turner, Ph.D., have a long history with the University dating back the early 90s, when Dr. Turner was completing his doctoral degree in economics. The Turners witnessed the evolution of the University through the developments of new research centers, schools, and leadership. The Turners, through Optimal, have provided internships, employment, and scholarships to outstanding Maryland graduates. The Turners also enjoy collaborating directly with the University on various projects. Dr. Mark Turner serves on the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Board of Visitors as well as an Economic Advisor to the Robert H. Smith School of Business’s Workshop on Health Information Technology and Economics.

“This is a real honor for me,” says Ms. Turner. “Though Optimal has worked with the University since our company’s founding ten years ago, the support and encouragement from Maryland since moving to the University’s M Square Research Park has been phenomenal. The university’s potential for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation inspired me to join and I hope I can make a difference as a new member.”

Mark and Tracye Turner, CEO and COO respectively, of Optimal Solutions Group, LLC, recently announced the establishment of The Turner Family Optimal Social Solutions Endowed Scholarship with the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. The Turners have been committed to supporting the University of Maryland, College Park community since 1989. The scholarship was created to show their continued dedication to enabling real-time, data-driven public policy research decision making, which is the focus of their public policy research and technical assistance firm, and ties well with the mission of the university’s College of Information Studies.

The Turner Family Optimal Social Solutions Endowed Scholarship is the Turners’ second endowed scholarship with the university. The first scholarship was with the University of Maryland’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) to advance studies on low-income and minority populations. In order to promote collaborative efforts between technology and social sciences, this new scholarship will support the use of information technology to develop solutions to social challenges brought on by technology advancements.

This scholarship is merit-based and will be awarded to undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in information science or a dual major or minor within BSOS. This philanthropic contribution will be for the amount of $50,000 over the course of five years and the Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences will decide who receives this scholarship.

To find out more about the Turner Family Optimal Social Solutions Scholarship, please visit

Optimal executives participated in a series of meetings to select art for the proposed Discovery Zone Metro stop planned for College Park in Purple Line Project. » Read more