Patrick L. Hess, a lifelong Harford County resident with strong ties to both the business and social communities, was appointed in August 2004 to complete the almost two years remaining on the term of Karen L. Wolf. He was reappointed in 2006. Mr. Hess is president and chief executive officer of Operations Management, Inc. W.D.P.B., Inc. which currently operates nine Denny's Restaurant franchises in the area, a position he has held since 1986. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Mr. Hess is also a graduate of North Harford High School. Mr. Hess and his wife, Lynn, have three children, Ryan and Lauren, both graduates of Fallston High School; and Matthew, a senior at Fallston High School.

Lee Merrell, retired from the federal civil service in 2006. In his last position he was the Chief of the Compliance Branch at the US Army Environmental Center, located on the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground. He earned his BS in Civil Engineering, majoring in Environmental Health Engineering, from the University of Texas, and his Masters of Engineering Administration from The George Washington University. He retired from the Active Army in 1988, after serving for 20 years. Mr. Merrell currently works part-time in the Compliance Office of Maryland Environmental Services. Mr. Merrell is an active member of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, where he serves on the Church Council and is editor of the church email newsletter. He served for two years as a member of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee for Harford County. Mr. Merrell and his wife, Alison, reside near Havre de Grace.

Mr. Mark M. Wolkow, works as a Business Consultant for the Department of Defense. In addition to his position on the Harford County Board, he also serves on the Boards of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) and the MABE Legal Services Association. Mr. Wolkow earned a Bachelor's Degree from the Johns Hopkins University and an MBA in Finance from Loyola College (Baltimore). A native of Maryland, he has served on the Boards of many community and civic organizations, including the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, the Harford County Council of PTAs, the Harford County Permanent Nominating Caucus, the Harford Jewish Center, the Friends of Harford, the Abingdon-Riverside-Emmorton Community Planning Council, the Constant Branch Community Association, and the local PTAs at Abingdon Elementary, Edgewood Middle, and Edgewood High schools. He is Past President of the Edgewood High PTSA and the Harford Jewish Center and is a 1994 graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy. Mr. Wolkow helped found the Schools of the Edgewood Area Coalition, serves on the Board of the Greater Edgewood Education Foundation, and has been actively involved in education issues for over 20 years. He has been recognized for volunteer service by a number of organizations, including the Secretary's Exceptional Volunteer Service Award at the Department of Labor. Mr. Wolkow and his wife Pat, who is a teacher in the Harford County Public School System, reside in Abingdon. They have two daughters currently enrolled in college, both of whom are graduates of Edgewood High School.

Ms. Ruth R. Rich, is director of the Joseph and Cherry Hill Senior Centers of Catholic Charities in Baltimore. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary's College of Maryland and a Masters in Education from the Johns Hopkins University. A former high school teacher for ten years in Baltimore County Public Schools, she has also taught courses in archaeology to adults through Harford Community College. Ms. Rich as been a clinic instructor of recreation basketball and softball with Harford County Parks and Recreation, has served as a volunteer at the Harford Glen Outdoor Learning Center and as director of a summer resident camp for children for Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. Ms. Rich is currently a member of the Board of Advisors of the South East Senior Housing Initiative (Baltimore City) and is a past member at large of the Harford County Archeological Society's Executive Board. She served on the steering committee of the first Harford Habitat for Humanity Women Build, as well as on the leadership team of the Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council, PA. She was a member of the HCPS Social Studies Advisory Committee, an officer with the North Harford Middle School PTSA and the Norrisville Elementary School PTA. She and her husband William M. Waters, have two daughters both of whom are graduates of Harford County Public Schools.

John L. Smilko, 51, in 1986 co-founded and continues to operate a Bel Air-based computer software development firm, Kramer-Smilko, Inc. Mr. Smilko, a Computer Science graduate of the University of Maryland, has been a resident of Joppatowne for 26 years. He and his wife, Peggy, have three children – Claire, 17, and Emily, 15, senior and junior, respectively, at Joppatowne High; and Dana, 13, an eigth grader at Magnolia Middle School. The avid American history buff is active in his children’s interests as a supporter of the Harford County Recreation Soccer program and a parent volunteer with the Harford County Easy Riders 4-H Club. A member of the First Lutheran Church of Gray Manor (Dundalk), he has served as Deacon and Treasurer. Mr. Smilko is a member of the Document Management Industries Association (DMIA) and was selected as an Industry Elite while being featured in the September 2003 issue of the Print Solution magazine.

Alysson L. Krchnavy, recipient of a Lifetime Membership to the Maryland State PTA, is a Cum Laude graduate of Grove City College (PA) with a concentration in Business Administration/Marketing and Computer Science. A longtime member and former president of the Hickory Elementary PTA, Mrs. Krchnavy was also a leader in the Harford County Council of PTAs prior to her appointment to the Board of Education. She has been a substitute teacher at Hickory Elementary and a former marketing/sales representative at a local athletic club as well as a network systems account manager. A youth leader at her church, she has led adult seminars and served as a finance committee member there. She is married to Ronald M. Krchnavy and the couple has a daughter, Madison, entering sixth grade at Bel Air Middle School this year. Mrs. Krchnavy is a Dale Carnegie graduate and scholarship winner and was also awarded the National Junior Achievement Scholarship.

Dr. Leonard D. Wheeler is a retired Baltimore City Public School teacher, curriculum specialist, principal, and assistant superintendent. He is also a retired associate professor in the department of education at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Dr. Wheeler is married to former Harford County Public School central office administrator Dr. A. Barbara Wheeler. The couple has a son, Christopher Wheeler, who was educated in the Harford County Public Schools, is currently attending Harford Community College. Dr. Leonard Wheeler earned his BS degree from Coppin State University, his master’s from Morgan State University, and his Ed.D. from Temple University. A member of the Ames United Methodist Church, he is also serving on the Judicial Nominating Committee for the county and the Harford Land Trust, in addition to being an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He is a past Trustee with the Woodbourne Board, the HJOPE Academy, the Harford County Partnership for Families, the Harford County CORE Service Agency, and the Harford County Board of Elections. The Harford Board of Education member has been honored with many civic, community, and professional awards and citations.

David John ‘D.J.’ Sigworth, Jr., a senior at Fallston High School, is the 21^st Student Representative on the Board of Education of Harford County. In addition to this position, he serves as president of the Fallston Student Government Association and runs track and field in the spring and was a member of the swim team. He also works 20 hours a week at a local restaurant. D.J. has been involved in Scouting for ten years and is currently finishing up requirements for his Eagle Scout status through Troop 801 headquartered at St. Mark’s Church. D.J. has been involved in several political campaigns including the Kerry campaign as well as stints on the campaigns of Senator Barbara Mikulski, Governor Martin O’Malley, and County Council candidate Val Twanmoh. The son of Dave, Sr. and Teri Sigworth, D.J. has two siblings, older sister Christine, 22, a criminal psychology major at Towson University who plans on enrolling in graduate school; and younger sister Brittany, a 15-year-old sophomore at Fallston High. D.J. plans on enrolling at a college in the Washington, D.C. area after his senior year to major in political science.

Patricia L. Skebeck , a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Education, was appointed Interim Superintendent of Schools for the Harford County Public School System by the Board of Education of Harford County on Monday, January 5, 2009, following the untimely passing of Dr. Jacqueline C. Haas. She received her Master of Education in Elementary Education from Towson State University and went on for post-graduate work at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. Her career in education began in 1964 as a first grade teacher at Mars Estates Elementary in Baltimore County. In 1979, she moved to teaching third grade at Hillsdale Elementary before accepting a position as a Teaching Assistant Principal at Meadowvale Elementary in 1987. She moved on to a non-teaching Assistant Principal placement at Youth’s Benefit Elementary in 1989. As the Principal of Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary from 1990 until 1996 and then at William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School, Mrs. Skebeck implemented many academic and outreach programs for the students and communities until becoming the Executive Director of Elementary Education in 1997 and serving in that position until 2009 when she became the Interim Superintendent. Mrs. Skebeck has served as the Chairperson of the Elementary Grading and Reporting Committee for HCPS and participated in the Statewide Task Force on Norm-Referenced Testing and the Statewide Educator Talent Pool, serving in an advisory capacity for the Maryland State Department of Education. In 1994, Mrs. Skebeck was recognized for her outstanding contributions with the prestigious Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. Mrs. Skebeck has three grown daughters and four grandchildren. She strives to keep the Harford County Public School System moving forward in the direction begun by Dr. Haas.