Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board, Richard Lerner
Chairman, Maryland Region, First National Bank
Richard M. Lerner, age 47, has served as Chief Executive Officer of Annapolis
Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANNB) since 1999 and became Chairman in 2001. In
1999 he was elected Chairman of Annapolis Bancorp's principal subsidiary,
BankAnnapolis, and in 2002 was appointed President and CEO of BankAnnapolis.
Mr. Lerner is a resident of Annapolis. From 1984 to 1999 Mr. Lerner was President of White Flint Builders, Inc., an upscale residential development and construction company located in Bethesda, Maryland. Mr. Lerner earned a Masters in Business Administration from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in 1983.
Mr. Lerner is a current board member of the Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation and serves on the Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation Finance Committee.
Vice Chair, Elaine Curl
Treasurer, Elaine Harrison
President, Main Street Business Solutions
Elaine
Harrison is the founding owner of Main Street Business Solutions Inc.,
a small business accounting and consulting firm in Queen Anne's County,
specializing in helping small business owners manage their financial records,
budgeting, compliance, payroll and financial statement preparation. Ms.
Harrison's varied work experience, from state government accounting to
local nonprofits and a wide variety of industries in the for-profit world,
have given her the practical experience necessary to assist small business
owners navigate the financial waters. Elaine enjoys her volunteer work
in the community and has served as an Advisory Council Member to the State
of Maryland Child Care Advisory Council, a committee member on the Queen
Anne's County Department of Emergency services Public Health Committee,
and was a founding member of the committee to build the Children's Memorial
Playground at Old Love Point Park on Kent Island. Her favorite charity
is Adopt-a-Bear, one of the funds supported by Foundation for Community
Partnerships, whose mission is to see that needy children in the mid-shore
area receive wrapped gifts for the Christmas Holiday. She and her husband,
Gregory, a county paramedic, live in Grasonville with their two sons, Ryan
and Max.
Secretary, Mary Ruth Meredith
Retired Talbot County Teacher
Ann Thomas
Mrs.
Thomas is founder and president of Chesapeake Educational Resources, LLC
(CER), an organization providing specialized educational and administrative
solutions, short-term personnel and services to support local school systems,
universities and the Maryland State Department of Education. These services
include school improvement and compliance strategic planning, mentoring
new teachers, presentations, professional development, coaching, grant
writing, program management, evaluation, and consultation. The organization
has provided services to most of the Eastern Shore school districts, colleges
and universities.
Mrs. Thomas has 40 years of varied experiences in education, working in local school systems as a social studies teacher, a special education teacher, a special education supervisor (birth to age 21), and an assistant superintendent. She also worked as a section chief for the Division of Special Education at the Maryland State Department of Education. For the past 10 years, she has served as a grant writer and project manager for Maryland State Improvement Grants (MSIG) for the UMES Department of Education. She has served on many local, regional and state-level committees on education and inter-agency collaboration.
Members:
Director, Chris David
Chris
David was born in Barstow, California in May of 1982. After living a few
years in the U.S., Chris spent 15 years of his life growing up on a military
base in Japan, where he went to elementary, middle, and high school. After
high school, he moved to Atlanta where he finished his undergraduate degree
in business. Immediately after college, Chris joined Chick-fil-A and worked
his way through the company while learning core leadership principles that
would help him to become an owner/operator. Eventually that lead him and
his family to Kent Island.
Currently Chris is the owner/operator of Chick-fil-A
of Kent Island. Through Chick-fil-A, Chris has been involved with supporting many
different community organizations including schools, churches, kids organizations,
adult organizations, and U.S. veteran organizations. Chiris is a family
man who enjoys spending time with his wife, Sheila, and
two sons, Joshua and Paul. During his free time he enjoys spending time
with family, playing sports or exercising, and learning.
Director, Carol D'Agostino
Carol D'Agostino is the principal and founder of Purple
Cat, a boutique ("niche") public relations firm serving the visibility
needs of non-profit organizations and small businesses, i.e. "the cost
conscious." Her specialty is developing and implementing successful high
quality, cost effective communications strategies by using the most direct
methods to speak to a client's target market.
Ms. D'Agostino writes a monthly column called "Positively PR" which is published in the Chesapeake Business Ledger. She is the publicity chair for the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center's Wet 'N' Wild Auction and a member of the Chesapeake Women's Network.
Prior to establishing Purple Cat, Ms. D'Agostino spent nearly 25 years as a public relations professional in the non-profit sector, garnering expansive visibility for organizations through the creation of cost effective media relations activities, publications, website development and special events. She earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Women's Studies certificate from Penn State University. Ms. D'Agostino Lives in Stevensville.
Director, Elazabeth Broderick
Director, Cara Gossard
Cara Gossard received her undergraduate in English and master’s degree in Social Work with a dual specialization in Clinical Social Work and Clinical Administration from the University of Maryland. Most of Cara’s prior work has involved the welfare of children and families. Currently Cara is a life coach in private practice, Life Coaching for Life LLC.
Cara’s volunteer commitments have included serving on the Character Counts! Advisory Board and as a Character Coach; Queen Anne’s County Local Management Board and Stephen Minister, Leader and Referral Coordinator for the Stephen Ministry. Cara is a founding member of this Foundation, past treasurer and vice president. She is proud of the Foundation’s work in assisting the philanthropic efforts of individuals and groups in our Region. She is a long time resident of Centreville.
Director, Patricia Mager
Pat Mager is President of WHBG, Inc., a full service certified public accounting firm offering corporate accounting as well as audits, reviews and compilations. WHBG, Inc. has been providing services to businesses and organization internationally for nearly 30 years and is known for its personal, quality service.
Ms. Mager received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Towson University and is currently completing a master’s degree in finance and accounting at the University of Maryland. Her professional memberships include the Board of Directors of the Maryland Society of Accountants Scholarship Foundation as well as member of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA), the National Association of Tax Professionals, and the National Association of Female Executives.
Director, Sheila Philip
Sheila Philip is the Provider Relations Director for Maryland Choices. Ms. Philip has a law degree and practiced law until 1996. For 15 years she has worked with children, adults and families in the human services field and has experience in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health and substance abuse. Her previous experience includes serving as the supervisor of the crisis services unit of a behavioral health agency and as Executive Director of the Local Management Board of St. Mary’s County. While with the LMB she helped develop the local system of care, including the implementation of the wraparound model and development of a youth crisis bed facility utilized by 3 state agencies from 3 counties. Ms. Philip serves as the Chair of the Calvert Community Fund Advisory Board. She has been with Maryland Choices since August 2008.
Director, Jennifer Rhodes
Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, University of Maryland
Jennifer Rhodes has been a lifelong resident of Queen
Anne's County and currently is the Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Extension Educator in Queen Anne's County. Agriculture has always been
an important component of her life. Her experience with 4-H, FFA, and
LEAD Maryland has helped increase her knowledge about agriculture while
developing and improving her people and leadership skills. Jenny was
previously employed for ten years with the University of Maryland Cooperative
Extension, Queen Anne's County as the Nutrient Management Advisor. While
working as the county's Nutrient Management Advisor she completed her
education in 2002, graduating from the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore with a B.S. in Agriculture and in 2006 graduating with a M.E. in
Agriculture and Extension Education. This position includes being not
only the traditional Ag Agent, but also becoming a tenured faculty member
within the next five years. Tenure includes teaching, scholarship, and
service on a county, regional, state and national level. Her office door
will always be open, so please feel free to stop by, pick up the phone,
or email her if you need unbiased education based information. Jenny
says it is a privilege for her to serve as the County Ag Agent.
Director, Audrey E. Scott
Audrey Scott has been a Maryland resident for the past forty years, during which time she has worked tirelessly on the local, state and federal level to improve her community and the state of Maryland. Ms. Scott is a former Republican elected official and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Reagan and President H.W. Bush. Most recently, Audrey served in Governor Robert Ehrlich’s Cabinet as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning. She is also a past Executive Director of the National Capital Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a General Manager of Chaney Enterprises. Audrey’s commitment to improving the State of Maryland earned her an induction into the highly prestigious Maryland Women Hall of Fame as well as a Maryland Woman of Achievement award.
Director, Kathy Sells
Realtor, Champion Realty
Kathy Sells founded and has been Managing Partner of
Good Management Associates, a consulting firm specializing in organization
and management effectiveness. Much of her consulting work in recent years
has been focused on providing coaching, human resources and organization
development support to leaders and teams in philanthropic, arts and international
development organizations. She and her husband, Dick, are winding-down
their consulting work and are working full-time as Realtors with Champion
Realty.
Kathy has a Masters in Education. She was a teacher early in her career, and education has been a common thread throughout her business and volunteer work. Before returning to this area in 1997, she was Board President of Project Touch, serving at-risk youth in Southern California. She now serves on the QAC Chamber Business/Education Partnership Committee and on the Bay Area ASsociation of REaltors Education Committee and is active in the Kent Island Estates Community Association. Kathy has participated as a business partner on Southern Regional Education Board's High Schools that Work and Making Middle Schools Work technical assistance visits to Kent Island, Queen Anne's and Centreville Middle Schools. She has volunteered at the Judy Center Partnership.
Director, Richard A. Sossi
Richard Sossi was born in New York, New York on July
23, 1943. He graduated from the University of Colorado, B.A. (Asian studies)
in 1965; served in U.S. Navy, 1965-70 (Vietnam tour, 1966-67; deputy
branch chief, National Security Agency, 1968-70). He graduated from the
Defense Language Institute (Chinese) in 1968 and the Officers' Cryptologic
Course at the National Security Agency in 1969. He was a self-employed
businessman at The Ship and Soldier Shop from 1977 to 2002.
Mr. Sossi is currently District Office Manager (Kent Island) and Community Liaison for U.S. Representative Andrew P. Harris. He was a member of the Queen Anne's County Republican Central Committee, 1990-98 (former chair) and alternate delegate to the Republican Party National Convention in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
Mr. Sossi is a member of American Legion Post 278, Elks, Moose, Vietnam Veterans of America, Maryland Coastal Conservation, Cecil County Chamber of Commerce, Queen Anne's County Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary International. He volunteers with Christmas in April (Queen Anne's County), Character Counts coaching, Kent Island Food Drive and serves as a volunteer cook at the Kent Family Center. He received the John Shaw Award, Maryland Business for Responsive Government, 2010. Mr. Sossi is married with one daughter and one grandson.
Director, Paul Stearns
W. Paul Stearns currently works for the Chesapeake Bay
Maritime Museum. Prior to joining the museum, he was the Loss Prevention
Manager at Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland. Additionally, he was
an Arizona Criminal Investigator with 22 years of service with the Pinal
County Sheriffs Department, the Payson Police Department, the State
of Arizona Office of Special Investigations and the Scottsdale Police
Department. Paul is a two-term, Past President of a for-profit (fundraising)
business owned by the Arizona Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police
called Public Safety Productions. Paul served with the U.S. Army and
was a reservist in the Arizona National Guard. He is a veteran of the
Gulf War. Paul has four grown children and currently lives in Stevensville
with his wife Marge.
Director, Carol Williamson
Superintendent of Schools for Queen Anne's County
Dr. Williamson has been an educator for 35 years. During
that time she has been an elementary teacher, a supervisor of Reading/Language
Arts and English (K-12), a Director of Curriculum, and Associate Superintendent.
She currently is the Superintendent of Schools in Queen Anne's County.
Prior to being selected as the Superintendent she served as the Associate
Superintendent for fifteen years. She has served on numerous committees
and task forces at the state level, the most recently dealing with professional
development of teachers.
