Page 14 - October 2020 Issue_Neat
        P. 14
     in collaboration with other county
                                                                                 agencies. He currently has returned to
                                                                                 where his career in emergency started
                                                                                 as a paramedic working closely with
                                                                                 Volunteer Fire Companies and enjoying
                Because you deserve qqualified, llocal representation            time with his grandchildren.
                      when managing life’s important issues.                     I call attention to these gentlemen
                                                                                 because I believe the challenges that
                                                                                 will be confronting education in the
               ?  ESTATE PLANNING                                                future will look like nothing we have
               ?  RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL                 300 Market Street     confronted before. There is a very real
                                                              Suite 104
                  REAL ESTATE AND SETTLEMENTS               Denton, Maryland     probability that our rural system, that
               ?  LLC FORMATION & BUSINESS LAW                 21629             has enjoyed a great relationship with
               ?  MUNICIPAL & ENVIRONMENTAL LAW                                  our county commissioners and state
               ?  GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL                     410.310.1774         leaders, will find revenue declining from
                                                                                 these sources. Good relationships and
                Our attorney, Patrick Thomas, and our Settlement   shayman@mlg-lawyers.com  knowledge of others that education
               Agent, Sandy Hayman, are available to travel to your   www.mlg-lawyers.com  leaders rely upon will foster better
                           preferred location.                                   collaboration. It will be critical for
                                                                                 school board members to think with
            Board has under the Code of Maryland   eminently qualified in their respective   an open mind and cooperatively work
            Regulations (COMAR).               ways and are persons whom I am certain   toward solutions with those entities
                                               would serve admirably. But two of them   while at the same time advocating for
            At this time, another board member,
                                               have extensive management experience   the education of our children.
            Louise Cheek, has chosen to not run for
                                               in the government and non-profit
            re-election and a re-appointed member,                               Mr. Barton and Mr. Ebling will be
                                               sectors. I believe their experience and
            George Abner, has announced that he                                  able to hit the ground running. Their
                                               backgrounds uniquely qualify them to
            will resign at the end of this year.  Th is                          learning curves will be steep but
                                               deal with the immense challenges that
            leaves three open seats, two elected and                             their backgrounds and experience
                                               will be confronting our school system
            one appointed, of a fi ve-member board.                               with Caroline County government,
                                               over the next several years.
            Public School systems will be confronted                             budgeting and working collaboratively
            with complicated problems with few   Rick Barton, running for District 2   with other government agencies gives
            simple solutions.                  which is most of Denton, Hillsboro and   them a solid foundation to be eff ective
                                               some of Greensboro, has a background   board members.
            Major decisions about the future of
                                               of government service having spent
            our children’s education will need to                                I am retiring from school board service
                                               a career at Maryland Department of
            be filtered through a lens that focuses                               for the second time, the first time
                                               Natural Resources most of which was
            on a healthy and safe environment.                                   involuntarily as an appointed member
                                               as a manager and administrator. He
            It is easier to manage and plan for                                  in 2009 when I reached my limit of two
                                               served as interim Caroline County
            threats that you can see. It is threats                              consecutive 5-year terms. This time I
                                               Administrator overseeing all Caroline
            that you cannot see, like Coronavirus,                               am retiring voluntarily as an elected
                                               County government operations and
            that decision-makers lose sleep over.                                board member of two consecutive terms.
                                               also served as Interim Director of
            No one wants to make a decision                                      But this time is diff erent because there
                                               Maryland Special Olympics. Currently
            that will harm the health and safety                                 will be two other new board members
                                               he is Executive Director of a consulting
            of any of our neighbors, young or old.                               instead of the one that replaced me the
                                               company that works with educational
                                                                                 first time I retired. The challenges facing
            Our current superintendent Dr.     systems in delivery of instruction, timely   public education in 2020 are extremely
            Patricia Saelens is in the last year of her   for those involved in education.   different than the challenges of 2009.
            4-year contract. The new board will be   Bryan Ebling, running for District 1   Please take the time to vote in 2020. It
            responsible for either reappointing Dr.   which is basically Ridgely and most of   is a critical election in so many ways.
            Saelens to a 4-year term or hiring a new   Greensboro/Goldsboro/Marydel and
            superintendent if Dr. Saelens chooses to   Henderson, recently retired as Director   Mr. Rowe is Vice President/Lending for
            not seek reappointment in 2021.                                      Bay Capital Mortgage Corp. with offi  ces
                                               of the Caroline County Emergency
                                                                                 in Easton and Annapolis. He has lived in
            There are four people running for the   Services Department. As Director,   Caroline for his entire life and supports
            two open board seats, and applications   he was responsible the all Emergency   the county by volunteering in a variety of
            are being accepted for the open    Services Operations in the county and   ways. He currently lives near Greensboro
            appointed seat.  Those running are all   developing and implementing a budget
                                                                                 with his wife Jeanne and daughter Kelsey.
            14
     	
