Newly-Elected and Governor-Appointed Board of Education of Harford County Members Announced

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Following the recent announcement by Governor Larry Hogan of appointments to the Harford County Board of Education (Board), the next Board is complete and will take office beginning on July 1, 2019. All members, but the student member, will serve a four (4) year term.

The Board consists of nine citizen members and one student member. Completing a hybrid board structure, six of the citizen Board members are elected, one from each of the councilmanic districts in the County, and three are appointed by the Governor.

The following individuals have been appointed to serve on the Board:

Dr. Joyce Herold

Dr. Joyce Herold is the mother of a HCPS student, an active school volunteer and a participant in the Parent-Teacher Association. Professionally, Dr. Herold serves as the vice-president of True Life Wellness, LLC, a community health organization and parent company of Maryland Spine Institute (MSI), which she and her husband founded in 2007. In this capacity, Dr. Herold functions as chief of staff at MSI overseeing leadership development and brand management. She also serves as academic program manager at Towson University in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) where she oversees academic program development and helps transfer students make successful transitions within the institution’s bachelor’s degree articulation pathways. Dr. Herold holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, a Master of Arts in Secondary Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from West Virginia University. She and her husband, Dr. Rochelin Herold, are residents of Bel Air, MD, and have two young children. They are longtime members of The Church of the Redeemed of the Lord in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Roy Phillips

Dr. Roy Phillips graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts and received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School. Originally from Long Island, New York, he migrated back to the east coast for his internship and residency in internal medicine, and fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism, all at the University of Maryland Hospital. In 1982, after completion of his fellowship, he relocated to Harford County where he started a solo practice and became Harford County’s first endocrinologist. He was instrumental in the development of Harford Primary Care, LLC, and sat on its board for five years. Following private practice for 28 years, he joined the endocrinology practice at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in 2010 where he remains today. Additional health care responsibilities over his professional career have included division chief of endocrinology at Fallston General Hospital, Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, and Harford Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Phillips also served in the capacity of physician advisor for quality assurance and utilization review for 15 years at Fallston General Hospital. He sat on the Harford County Health Planning Commission which reviewed initial plans for both Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and Lorien Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Facility. He spent 13 years as volunteer team physician for C. Milton Wright football from 1982-1995. He has delivered scores of lectures to physicians and other health care providers in the field of endocrinology, primarily in the areas of diabetes, thyroid, lipid and bone disorders. Dr. Phillips has a son and a daughter, both with advanced degrees, and two granddaughters. His wife of 41 years, Rhodora, died from breast cancer in 2018. In her honor and memory, he has started an endowed scholarship in her name in the nursing program at Harford Community College.

Patrice Ricciardi

Patrice Ricciardi is the director of Business Development at Freedom Federal Credit Union and is responsible for developing strategic business partnerships, which enable their employee groups to enjoy the benefits of the credit union. As a summa cum laude graduate of Siena College, she is a member of the Delta Epsilon Sigma National Scholastic Honor Society, with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and graduate studies at Georgia State University. Ms. Ricciardi has been a longtime advocate for education and serves on the Harford County Public Schools Citizens Advisory for Career and Technology Education, acting as chair for the past four years. She served as a PTA president in Baltimore County and was instrumental in the renovation of Carroll Manor Elementary School, and the upgrade of the science labs at Dulaney Valley High School. She has served on the Maryland State Department of Education Parent Advisory Council for Education, participates annually with the culminating assemblies for the HCPS Patriot Program, and is a regular volunteer across the school system, contributing to financial literacy education in the classroom.

Ms. Ricciardi is also very involved with many non-profit organizations throughout Harford County, including the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation and is a member and past treasurer of Women’s Giving Circle of Harford County. She recently joined the Harford Community College Foundation Board and is the incoming chair for the Harford County Chamber of Commerce. She has been acknowledged twice as a Harford Community College Athena finalist, a Harford Leadership Academy graduate, is a member of the Colonie Central High School Hall of Fame, and is a proud resident of Harford County.

In addition, the following individuals were elected on November 6, 2018, to serve on the Board:

Jansen Robinson, Councilmanic District A

Jansen Robinson is currently serving on the Board and was elected to serve a second term.

Mr. Jansen Robinson is a Vietnam-era veteran and currently serves as a security specialist/antiterrorism officer with the Department of Defense. Mr. Robinson earned an Associates of Applied Science in Criminal Justice from the Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia; a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Mr. Robinson and his wife, Bertha, have resided in Harford County since 1991. They live in the Forest Oaks Community in Edgewood and are the parents of three adult children who were educated in Harford County Public Schools. Mr. Robinson has served his community as a member of the Harford County Human Relations Commission and the Harford County Public Schools Citizens Advisory Committee; he is the former chair of the Edgewood Community Council; and is currently a member of the Edgewood Community Advisory Board.

David Bauer, Councilmanic District B

Dr. David Bauer is an engineer working on the evaluation side of test and evaluation with the Department of Defense. He earned his Ph.D. in the field of computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has long had an interest in education and did a variety of tutoring and student teaching in high school, college, and graduate school. Dr. Bauer and his wife, Annelise, have lived in Harford County since early 2010. They have a daughter who attends HCPS.

Kathryn Carmello, Councilmanic District C

Kathy Carmello is retired as the Harford County Public Schools Governmental Relations Facilitator. Her proficiency in understanding the budget process as well as the legislative process, regulations and policy changes will be beneficial as a member of the school board. As the Charter School Coordinator, Ms. Carmello was involved in writing the first charter school policy and application for the state of Maryland.

Mrs. Carmello is married to Ed Carmello and they have four children and 13 grandchildren. Mrs. Carmello served as a member of the Harford County Council Budget Advisory Board, the Harford County Core Service Agency, and the Harford County Health Planning Commission. She has served as the Legislative Chair for the Maryland Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) and is currently a member of the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and also worked for a tobacco industry international and research group as a legislative analyst. Mrs. Carmello served on the Harford County Council of PTA’s and was president of the Bel Air High School PTSA as well as vice president at Bel Air Middle School and Ring Factory Elementary School PTA’s where her children attended, and now has grandchildren attending Harford County Public Schools.

Tamera Rush, Councilmanic District D

Tamera Rush is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TENAX Technologies which focuses on communications, cyber security, and engineering for government customers. Ms. Rush founded TENAX in 2014. Some of her accomplishments include the Hammer Award given by Al Gore for significant work reinventing government principles that support development of nontoxic ammunition, 50 Women to Watch (Baltimore Sun), one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women (Daily Record, 2012), and the 2011 Athena International Award for Women’s Leadership. Her company is the proud 2018 Harford Award Recipient in the R&D/Technology Category. Ms. Rush was educated in State University of New York School at Potsdam where she earned her master’s degree in Organic Chemistry and her bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Secondary Education. She is involved in the community with the Spousal Abuse/Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), CharHope, and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). Ms. Rush and her husband Jim have three children, Hope, Theodore, and Colin, and reside in Forest Hill.

Rachel Gauthier, Councilmanic District E

Rachel Gauthier is currently serving on the Board and was elected to serve a second term.

Mrs. Rachel Gauthier is a school counselor for Baltimore County Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Towson University, where she double majored in psychology and sociology. She is a cum laude graduate of McDaniel College, where she received her Master of Science in Counselor Education. She holds certification from the Maryland State Department of Education as a school counselor, pupil personnel worker, and administrator I, and has earned ancillary credits in special education. Mrs. Gauthier has been honored with an Excellence Merit Award for exemplary service to advance minority achievement by the Achievement Initiative for Maryland’s Minority Students and the Maryland State Department of Education. Mrs. Gauthier and her husband Chris, a math teacher, are proud parents of two children who attend HCPS. Mrs. Gauthier, a native of Los Angeles, CA, has lived in Bel Air since 2002, and spends her spare time running her kids to theater rehearsals, baseball practice and going on adventures with her friends and family.

Sonja Karwacki, Councilmanic District F

Sonja M. Karwacki has been a resident of Harford County for 40 years. She and her husband raised three children, all of whom graduated from Edgewood High School. Mrs. Karwacki holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Towson University, and a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Johns Hopkins University, Administrator I and II certification from the state of Maryland, and a certificate in Public Education Leadership from Harvard University. Her experience includes 25 years as an educator in Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). During her tenure in BCPS, Mrs. Karwacki achieved diverse experience including classroom teacher, library/media specialist, districtwide resource teacher in the Office of Gifted and Talented, assistant principal, assistant to the superintendent of the southeast area of BCPS, and Executive Director of Special Programs.

Christian Walker, an upcoming senior at C. Milton Wright High School, will serve as the student member for the 2019-2020 school year.

Christian Walker, a junior at C. Milton Wright High School, will become the 31st Student Member on the Harford County Board of Education. At C. Milton Wright, he is a member of the National Honor Society and a founder of the school’s Principal’s Advisory Committee. He also serves as a peer helper to students who move to C. Milton Wright during the school year to help acclimate them to the school. During his junior year, he has been part of a committee led by school counselors and the school psychologist to expand peer counseling to all incoming freshmen and promote awareness for mental health resources. Outside of school, Mr. Walker serves as a tutor in mathematics to elementary students in the Route 40 corridor and often volunteers at local food drives and temporary housing programs. He has also served as a member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council under both Mrs. Canavan and Dr. Bulson.

Growing up as a small child in tornado-prone northern Alabama, Mr. Walker grew a great interest and passion for weather, which evolved into a part-time job in Maryland as forecaster for a number of local weather forecasting pages, most notably Harford County Weather Watch from winter 2015 to its shutdown in 2017. Mr. Walker still works as a freelance forecaster and the social media and online marketing coordinator for the Bryan Michaels State Farm office in downtown Bel Air.

After high school, Mr. Walker plans to pursue a four-year degree in fields related to business or science.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place on July 15, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. in the A.A. Roberty Building Board Room (102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD 21014).

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