The Rolodex was open to a gray-on-gray business card: "Walter H. Plosila, Ph.D. President. Montgomery County High Technology Council, Inc."

I haven't seen Walt (he hated being called "Dr. Plosila") in years, but finding the card triggered thoughts about the vital role he played in advancing higher education in Montgomery County.

Plosila and Kathy Manning were pioneers in pulling together the region's young technology companies, uniting them into what has evolved into a respected organization, the Technology Council of Maryland.

The group recognized from the start the importance of a world-class network of higher education in the county, something that was sorely lacking.

Over several years, the council tapped the expertise of leading executives -- Harvey Kushner, Clifford Kendall, K. Bruce Hamilton to name a few -- who tirelessly promoted education.

They maneuvered choppy political waters, cajoled colleagues and did behind-the-scenes work that helped lay the foundation for Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology campuses in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center in Rockville.

They also helped forge lasting bonds between Montgomery College and the four-year universities that were moving in, and encouraged the schools to listen to the needs of businesses that needed skilled workers.

Plosila and Manning were among the unsung heroes in establishing what has become a showcase for education and a major asset for the technology community.

Their hard work was only a start. Sustaining the vision is critical.

Today a new generation is planning the next phase for higher education in Shady Grove. Hopkins has expanded to keep up with demand. The long-term blueprints for Montgomery College's Germantown campus show a tremendous technology focus.

In the days ahead, state lawmakers will hear requests for a $52 million expansion of the Universities at Shady Grove, the University of Maryland's campus known primarily for its night and weekend courses.

Stewart Edelstein, executive director at Shady Grove, says by adding a third building, the university will be able to enroll 6,000 students. About 2,100 full- and part-time students attend classes there today.

In a meeting this week with Gazette editors, Edelstein said a new 192,000-square-foot building will allow the university to have a larger library, much-needed offices for faculty members, classrooms and more specialized laboratories for teaching nurses, engineers and life-science students. "This is built to sustain a daytime student body," he said.

The governor has included money for a new building in his budget and the county's delegation to the state legislature has thrown in its support, as have business and education organizations.

Folks like Walt Plosila saw the need two decades ago, and their vision was crystal clear: To sustain a technology business base, access to quality education is essential. Expanding the Shady Grove campus is a no-brainer.