Sharon M. Lipford, LCSW-C, principal, CopperMile Consulting, has been elected president of the Harford County Public Library Foundation board of directors for a three-year term. The Foundation board’s other officers are Matt Buecker, senior manager of marketing and customer education at Baltimore Gas Electric (BGE), vice president; Robin Sommer, CEO of MidAtlantic Photographic LLC, secretary; and Andy Guckert, senior vice president of M&T Bank, treasurer.
The Harford County Public Library Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that raises funds to augment the financial resources of Harford County Public Library and to promote awareness of its services.
The Foundation is currently working on several projects including the 19th annual gala, “SpyBall: Secrets in the Stacks” on November 4 at the Abingdon Library, with proceeds going toward the replacement of the Rolling Reader. The Rolling Reader is an outreach vehicle that serves the county’s most vulnerable youth by providing access to Library resources.
Other Foundation initiatives include raising funds for refurbishments to the Bel Air, Edgewood and Joppa libraries in addition to supporting projects such as Winter Reading and Summer Reading programs, the Innovation Lab, Little Leapers and more.
“We are so fortunate to have Sharon Lipford as the Foundation’s new president. The commitment of Sharon and all the Foundation board members is so important to the success of our many Library initiatives,” said Mary Hastler, CEO of Harford County Public Library. “I would also like to thank Carolyn Lambdin for her incredible leadership as Foundation president prior to Sharon. My thanks to all board members, current and past, for sharing their expertise, love of and dedication to the library.”
Lipford, the new Foundation president, has more than 30 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, hospital and government sectors. She brings a wide-range of strategic, policy and operational expertise. Her experience includes the development and operation of complex systems in behavioral health, crisis services, criminal justice and population health.
She holds a Master of Social Work from University of Maryland at Baltimore and is a licensed certified social worker-clinical (LCSW-C). In addition to the Library Foundation’s board, she serves on the boards of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and New Day Wellness and Recovery Center. For the past 19 years, Lipford has served on the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team as a behavioral health professional.
Buecker, the Foundation vice president, has more than 20 years of marketing experience with expertise in managing a wide range of marketing operations, including marketing strategy, branding, social media and email/digital marketing for both business-to-business and business-to-customer. In his role at BGE, Buecker is responsible for overseeing all marketing and brand strategy functions including energy efficiency, demand response and customer experience marketing strategies. He also oversees BGE’s social media channels and email marketing and automation strategies.
Sommer, the Foundation secretary, is a commercial photographer in Bel Air and has been a Harford County resident for 30 years. In addition to serving on the Library Foundation board, she is active in the Harford County Chamber of Commerce, Route 40 Business Association and organizations that support Harford County businesses. She lives in Bel Air with her husband, Bill Rettberg, who is also a commercial photographer.
Guckert, Foundation treasurer, has worked at M&T Bank for more than 19 years, primarily supporting small businesses. A graduate of Towson University, he began his career at M&T Bank’s downtown Baltimore office before moving home to Harford County in 2015. He is an active community volunteer, serving on several boards including the Harford Community College Foundation and Harford County Chamber of Commerce. Guckert lives in Fallston with wife his wife, Lacy, and two children, Grace and Charlie.
Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County offering access to ideas that inform, entertain and inspire. Last year the Library interacted with its residents more than 12 million times – borrowing free materials, visiting branches and the website, using free WiFi, and attending classes and events. In 2021 Harford County Public Library was named a Star Library by Library Journal. For more information, visit HCPLonline.org.
