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Meet Our Board Members


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Aaron Poynton is a businessman, entrepreneur, and consultant. He is the CEO and founder of Omnipoynt Solutions, a strategy and business development consulting firm in the aerospace & defense, national security, and health & safety markets. Aaron is also co-founder and chief commercial officer of A3 Global, a next-generation company focused on the future of mobility in the circular economy.

Aaron started his career in the military before transitioning to business, attaining the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army. While stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aaron was Company Commander of an AIT (Advanced Individual Training) unit, part of the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Following his military service, Aaron transitioned to the corporate sector, where he held leadership positions in prominent technology companies. His extensive global experience in Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies spans over a decade, during which he led diverse global teams to achieve organizational goals. Inspired by his corporate journey, Aaron took a leap into entrepreneurship, establishing successful ventures and nonprofit organizations.

Aaron holds a Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore, an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and completed post-graduate business studies at Harvard Business School, graduating from the Advanced Management Program. Additionally, he holds an LLM in Commercial Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an MS in Project Management from George Washington University, and a BA in Economics from the University of Maryland UMBC.

Recognized for his expertise by the Department of State and the World Learning Organization, Aaron is a Fulbright Specialist in public administration. Aaron serves on several boards, including the United Nations Association of America and Harvard AMP Foundation, an education non-profit where he is president. Aaron is a contributor to Forbes.com and a Forbes Business Council member. He is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author.

Aaron Poynton
Aaron S. Poynton, D.P.A.
President
Appointed Member-at-Large, 2023
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Mrs. Melissa Hahn is a resident of Jarrettsville where she has lived for the past six years with her husband and two children, one a recent graduate and the other a sophomore at North Harford High School. Mrs. Hahn received her certification in early childhood education and worked with pre-school aged children for more than eight years. She then worked for sixteen years as a case manager for Baltimore County Government until deciding to dedicate more time as a volunteer in her children's classrooms. She was a regular volunteer in Baltimore County Public Schools from 2010 until 2015 when she and her family moved to Harford County and then began volunteering in HCPS. Melissa has served as the Vice President of the PTSA and worked as a regular substitute at North Harford High School until being elected to serve on the HCPS Board of Education in 2022.
Melissa Hahn
Melissa L. Hahn
Vice President
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District D, 2022
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Mrs. Terri Kocher is 36+ year Harford County resident, mother, and grandmother. She and her husband of 44 years raised their two sons in Churchville and now live in Bel Air. Two of their grandchildren attend school in Harford County. She retired from a 30+ year career as an US Army civilian, serving at Aberdeen Proving Ground and at the Pentagon.

Terri feels it is an honor to serve as part of the Harford County Public School Board of Education. She hopes to use her experience as a board member and analyst to provide positive support to the families and teachers of Harford County.

Terri was a multi-term member of a local church Nursery School and Day Care Center Board. She also taught Sunday School and substituted at this Center. Her husband retired as a 30-year Baltimore County teacher and subsequently worked as an Academic Advisor at Harford Community College. She recognizes that teachers have a tough but rewarding job and is grateful that her children received a quality Harford County education. Terri also has specific appreciation for the challenges of being a working mom while caring for young children, as well as the challenges of being a teacher and student in the Covid and post-Covid environment.

Terri earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Salisbury State College and then a Master’s degree in Systems Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Her career serving the Army focused on improving the protective capabilities provided to the military services and culminated as a senior operations research analyst position at the Pentagon. She served as Chief of the Chemical and Biological Defense Test and Evaluation Division for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for Test and Evaluation, from 2003 to 2012. She completed the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellow program and other acquisition and personnel training. Throughout her Army civilian career, she initiated and led efforts in working groups and across organizations to identify and resolve program issues, while fostering collaboration. Before going to the Pentagon, Terri worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground for most of her career. She supported the Army Test and Evaluation Command (then known as TECOM) as a statistician and then operations research systems analyst from 1984 to 2003. Before that, she was a research technician and statistician for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Addiction Research Center from 1979 to 1984, with two earlier short stints at The Arc of Baltimore and a Baltimore County School library assistant.

Terri Kocher
Terri Kocher
Appointed Member-at-Large, 2023
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Ms. Lauren Paige Strauss holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University and is a certified project management professional. Lauren serves as a program manager in the field of Army acquisition and, currently, works as the Director of Program Management for a small business in the Department of Defense industry. Lauren is a 12-year resident of Harford County and currently lives in Havre de Grace. She is the proud mom of a James Madison University Duke and a Havre de Grace High School Warrior.

Lauren Strauss
Lauren Paige Strauss
Appointed Member-at-Large, 2023
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Ms. Denise Perry is an Army Veteran and a federal government retiree. Her career included serving as an IRS Field Agent and an Internal Auditor for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mrs. Perry is a graduate of Aberdeen High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Perry and her husband, Dwight, have been Harford County residents for more than 30 years. Nineteen of those years have been in the Forest Oaks Community in Edgewood. They are the parents of two adult daughters and a son who is deceased. Her four grandchildren are currently attending Harford County Public schools. Mrs. Perry serves on the National Board of Directors of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Maryland State Veterans Commission, and the Edgewood Community Advisory Board. She also served a term on the Harford County Veterans Commission.
Denise Perry
Denise E. Perry
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District A, 2022
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Mr. Wade Sewell is a lifelong Harford County resident, attending Youth’s Benefit Elementary School and graduating from Fallston High School in 1991. He attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, earning BS and MS degrees in Environmental Science. Wade worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground for the Chemical & Biological Defense Command as a part of his cooperative education work experience through Drexel. While working towards his Masters, Wade worked for Drexel and later DuPont to build their Radiation Safety programs.
Wade returned to Fallston in 2000 to work as an environmental consultant. In 2002, Wade had the opportunity to purchase a local food distribution business introduced to him by his father. After successfully building this business for over a decade, Wade returned to school and completed an MBA with a focus on Supply Chain and Sustainability from the University of North Carolina. After completing his MBA in 2016, Wade sold his distribution business and started his own sustainability consulting company. In 2021, Wade launched another business focused on environmental commodities.
Wade is married to Heather, and they have two children who both attend Harford County Public Schools. He supports the interests and endeavors of his children as much as possible, volunteering for the organizations they are involved in and working on projects together.
Wade serves in multiple volunteer capacities in the community. Most recently Wade was the PTA Treasurer and Environmental Club leader at Youth’s Benefit Elementary School. Wade served on the HCPS North Star Parent Advisory Council, and he was the Harford County director for Strong Schools Maryland where he advocated for the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. He is currently a Board Member and Treasurer for Fallston Soccer.
Wade Sewell
Wade A. Sewell
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District B, 2022
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Dr. Carol L. Mueller is an experienced educator recently retired from Harford Community College where she was an assistant professor in math and Earth Science. In 2018, Dr. Mueller won the John and Suanne Roueche Teaching Excellence Award from the League for Innovation for her work in developmental education, and, in 2019, she won the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence award for her work at Harford Community College. She serves as treasurer for the National Organization for Student Success and vice president of the Maryland Chapter of the American Association of University Women. Dr. Mueller earned an associate degree in Education from the College of DuPage, a Bachelor of Education in Earth and Space Science, and a Master of Education in Geology and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Arkansas. She is a firm believer in lifelong learning and in the last five years has completed two more certifications, one in Leadership for Higher Education and one in Developmental Education. Her interest in student success led her to serve on the board for the National Center for Developmental Education and as a presenter at the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Since 2009, Dr. Mueller has worked with three schools in Meru District South in Kenya, helping them with resources needed to provide a quality education to their students. Dr. Mueller moved to Bel Air twenty years ago to work for HCPS. Both of her children graduated from HCPS, her son from Harford Tech and her daughter from Bel Air High School. Dr. Mueller is a strong advocate for students and is looking forward to serving the families of Harford County.
Carol Mueller
Dr. Carol L. Mueller
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District C, 2022
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Ms. Carol Bruce currently resides in Aberdeen, Maryland in the family home purchased in 1963 with her husband, Don, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Army. Ms. Bruce attended the Havre de Grace Colored School which was built in 1930 until it closed in 1954. She graduated from Havre de Grace Consolidated School in 1954. The school was built to avoid integration and was one of the two African American Schools in the county. Ms. Bruce received a BS degree from Morgan State College and an MBA from Morgan State University. She is a life member of the Morgan State University Alumnae Association and a member of the Harford County Alumnae Chapter.
Ms. Bruce traveled with her husband and family, a daughter and two sons, until his retirement in 1985. They returned to Harford County and she worked for the U.S. Army in a variety of supervisory and management positions at Ft. Meade, Edgewood Area of APG, and Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland. She retired from the U.S. Army Ordnance Center & School in 2006, as the Resource Manager in charge of personnel and finances. Ms. Bruce’s mother, Elizabeth Joyner Sawyer graduated from the Havre de Grace Colored School in 1940. She and her husband Thomas were the first African Americans to own a business in Havre de Grace, Maryland and owned it for over 30 years until 2007.
Ms. Bruce served as a judge and chief judge for the Harford County Board of Elections for over 20 years. She was appointed to the Harford Board of Election by the governor in 2014.
Ms. Bruce is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Harford County Chapter. She is a charter member of the Susquehanna Chapter of Blacks In Government (BIG), beginning her membership in 1977. She served in a variety of positions at the local, regional, and national levels for 40 plus years to include recognition as a Gold Plus Life Member. She is a recipient of the Region III Congressman Elijah Cummings Award.
Ms. Bruce has served as a member of the Havre de Grace Colored School Museum and Cultural Center Board since its inception in 2017. Funds were raised to purchase the original school building in 2019 and it will be restored to its original state to serve as a facility to serve the community. It will provide the history of African Americans and the struggle to obtain education in the county as well as the country.
On January 7, 2020, Ms. Bruce was named a Harford County Living Treasure by the Harford County Council. She received a Certificate of Appreciation from Harford Community College for outstanding participation in the Harford Civil Rights Project in October 2021. She is a Life Member of the NAACP and active with the local Harford County Chapter.
Ms. Bruce is the proud mother of three children and has twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Carol P. Bruce
Carol P. Bruce
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District E, 2022
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Mrs. Diane Alvarez is retired from the Army Test and Evaluation Center, where she dedicated 32 years to testing and evaluating military equipment. She is a graduate of Widener University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Mrs. Alvarez knows that education starts at birth and continues throughout life. The most rewarding part of her career was mentoring interns who were always able to provide new vision. She served as a government advisor on the Army Science Board and recieved numerous awards throughout her career. She later returned to school to earn her Master’s degree in Human Services from Liberty University and uses this education to support charity work throughout Harford County. Mrs. Alvarez has taught parenting skills at the Harford County Detention Center and life skills at New Day Recovery Center and at local nonprofits. She is an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church where she serves as a Eucharist Minister, visiting the homebound and hospitalized. She is a member of the Legion of Mary at St. Joan of Arc and its formation for the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. Diane has been a resident of Havre de Grace since 1991 where she continues to reside with her husband Jorge. They have raised two boys and enjoy the laughter of two grandchildren.
Diane Alvarez
Diane M. Alvarez
Elected Member,
Councilmanic District F, 2022
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Sasha Pazoki, a senior at the Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School, will serve as the 2024-2025 Student Member on the Board of Education. She is currently involved in Youth and Government and participates in multiple school clubs. Along with being the vice president of her school’s student council in addition to her region's student council, she holds the position as an officer for Medical Club, Glamor Gals, Speech and Debate, and Gender Sexualities and Alliances Club. Additionally, Sasha has served on the executive board of the Maryland Association of Student Councils for two years. Outside of school, she has played club soccer for 10 years and has played for her high school's varsity soccer team for all four years. She enjoys being an active member of her community and actively tutors students from grades 6-12. On occasion, Sasha likes to perform traditional Persian dancing (Raqs) with her dance group. She actively expresses her love for STEM as she has continued her lab research at Aberdeen Proving Grounds through an apprenticeship for three consecutive years. She plans to use the knowledge she has acquired to attend a 4-year university studying biological sciences and political science to further continue her education at medical school, followed by law school.
Sasha Z. Pazoki
Sasha Z. Pazoki
Student Member, 2024-25
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Dr. Sean W. Bulson became Superintendent of Harford County Public Schools on July 1, 2018. Dr. Bulson holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations from American University, a master's degree in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) from Marymount University, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from George Washington University.

He began his education career in Montgomery County Public Schools, serving a total of 16 years before relocating to North Carolina in 2011 to become superintendent of Wilson County Schools. In 2016, Dr. Bulson joined the University of North Carolina (UNC) System to lead an initiative to open laboratory schools at UNC institutions to serve students from low-performing schools.

In Harford County, Dr. Bulson serves as a member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; legislative chair for the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM); a member of the Council on Advancement of School-Based Health Centers (CASBHC); a member of the Economic Development Advisory Board; an executive committee member of the Harford Business Roundtable (HBRT); a member of the Harford County Education Foundation Board of Directors; a member of the Healthy Harford Board of Directors; and a member of the Susquehanna Workforce Network Board.

Dr. Sean W. Bulson
Dr. Sean W. Bulson
Secretary-Treasurer,
Superintendent of Schools
Councilmanic Districts