Harford County Public Library Foundation has elected six new members to its board of directors. They are Silvana Bowker, deputy health officer of operations at Harford County Health Department; Rachel Harbin, vice president, coordination of community services, at Service Coordination, Inc.; Sarah Klein, owner, Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland; Lee Tayson, insurance consultant, Comparion Insurance Agency; Kathy Walsh, chief advancement officer, The John Carroll School; and Jonathan Waterhouse, realtor, Keller Williams Gateway. The new board members will serve a three-year term.
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 board is currently working on several projects including the 1st Annual Taste of Harford on May 19 at Vignon Manor Farm and the 20th Annual “An Evening in the Stacks” on October 26 at the Abingdon Library.
“We are pleased to welcome six new members to the Foundation board. Our Foundation board members are visionary leaders who are experts in their fields. They touch all corners of Harford County and help us engage with businesses and individuals to expand library resources and services,” said Mary Hastler, CEO of Harford County Public Library.
Prior to joining the Harford County Health Department last July, Bowker served as program manager of youth and family services for Harford County’s Department of Community Services. She was also director of the Local Management Board for Community Services. Bowker has served on boards for the YMCA and Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding and on the Susquehanna Workforce Network Youth Committee. She holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Loyola University Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary. She is also a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
Harbin was manager of the Office of Disability Services for Harford County and coordinator of special programs at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene-Developmental Disabilities Administration before joining Service Coordination, Inc., in 2023. She is a member of the Harford County Commission on Disabilities and co-chair of the Maryland Alliance of Commissions on Disabilities. Harbin holds a master’s in rehabilitation counseling from University of Maryland College Park and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eastern University. She is also a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.
Klein has been working in her family business for 18 years. She manages more than 250 associates, heads the company’s DE&I board and serves on two boards of Wakefern for ShopRite. Klein serves on the boards of the Greater Bel Air Community Foundation, Harford County Sheriff’s Foundation, Rockfield Foundation, The John Carroll School and Harford United Charities. She is also a member of the Greater Harford Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Roanoke College.
Tayson has been a licensed insurance agent for 15 years. He serves as vice chair of finance for the Harford Community College Foundation board and on the advisory board for the Academy of Finance at Edgewood High School. He is also a member of Harford County’s Spending Affordability Advisory Committee. Tayson is a member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and a past chair of the organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Towson University. He also holds LUTCF and FSCP professional designations from The American College.
As chief advancement officer at The John Carroll School, Walsh oversees the development, marketing and communications and events team. For more than 20 years, she has worked with local, national and international businesses in a variety of industries including nonprofit, AEC, travel and tourism, technology, visual communications, financial services, restaurant and retail, education and many others, to recommend and implement strategies that directly impact a company’s bottom line. Active in the community, Walsh serves on the Harford Family House Marketing Committee, Community Foundation of Harford County Marketing Committee,
Harford County Suicide Prevention Workgroup and is a QPR (Suicide Prevention) Trainer and member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce. She holds a master’s degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Loyola University Maryland.
Prior to joining Keller Williams Gateway in 2018, Waterhouse served as vice president at WSFS Bank for 14 years. Active in the community, he is a member of the Harford County Round Table, Bel Air Downtown Alliance and Harford County Chamber of Commerce. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information resource management from Wilmington University.
“The Harford County Public Library Foundation is unbelievably fortunate to have such an outstanding board of volunteers who are involved in all facets of life in Harford County,” said Amber Shrodes, director of philanthropy and community engagement for Harford County Public Library. “The new members of the board bring expertise in a variety of areas that will help us as we raise funds and promote the many services the library offers to the community.”
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 2023 Harford County Public Library received Graphic Design USA’s American Inhouse Design Award™ for graphic excellence, the third time in five years. For more information, visit HCPLonline.org.
