University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) has appointed Dr. Theresa B. Felder, president of Harford Community College; Ryan D. John, chief financial officer at Independent Can Company; and James C. Richardson, retired director of human resources for Harford County Government, to the board of directors of UM UCH, its hospitals and to the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation.
“We are fortunate to have three dynamic Harford County leaders join our board of directors,” said Elizabeth Wise, MSN, MBA, president and chief executive officer of UM UCH. “Their expertise will assist us as we continue to provide the best possible health care to the communities we serve.”
A resident of Havre de Grace, Felder has served as president of Harford Community College since January 2021. She came to Harford Community College from Clark State College where she served in several roles including senior vice president, student success, in which she was responsible for leadership of the Student Affairs Division, strategic planning and institutional research. While at Clark State, Felder also served as vice president, Student Affairs and Greene Center Operations and dean of the Greene Center.
She is an active member of the Harford County and Greater Baltimore communities, serving on the boards of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Advisory Board, Harford Business Round Table for Education, Northeastern Maryland Technology Council, Susquehanna Workforce Network and the Greater Baltimore Committee.
Felder holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Northeastern University; Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University; and Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Syracuse University.
John, a Fallston resident, leads financial and corporate strategy for Independent Can Company in Belcamp, where he promotes discipline across business units and positions the company for next level growth. Prior to joining the company in 2019, Ryan spent 19 years at Alban Tractor Co., Inc., where he served in a variety of positions including executive vice president, vice president of accounting and information technology, and controller.
He is a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Mountain Christian Church and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from McDaniel College.
Richardson, a resident of Pylesville, retired in 2021 as director of human resources for Harford County Government, a position he served in from 2014-21 and from 1998-2006. From 2006-14 he was director of economic development for Harford County. Among his accomplishments over the years were establishing the Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor (CSSC); preparing Harford County for the BRAC 2005 move of more than 22,000 positions and implementing the Saba/Halogen Performance Management System.
Active in the community, Richardson serves as secretary of the Highland Community Association. He served as the past vice president and program committee chair for Maryland Public Employer Labor Relations Association; member of the Board of Directors of Mason-Dixon Community Services; and past elder with the Highland Presbyterian Church. Richardson has also received The Daily Record’s Innovator of the Year Award.
Richardson holds a master’s degree in economics from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s in political science from Lynchburg College.
About University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, part of the University of Maryland Medical System, includes the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and the Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center on its Bel Air campus. Most recently, it opened The Klein Family Harford Crisis Center in Bel Air offering services for behavioral health. The Senator Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill is an assisted living facility that specializes in hospice. The University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital has been operating in the community for over a century and is located in Havre de Grace. The leading health care system and largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health care services, specialty care, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland. Visit www.umms.org/uch for more information.